Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets
by Stoic Harlequin
Summary: Nothing's impossible if you can believe it. Unimaginable danger faces the turtles, forcing them to adapt to a world hidden deeper than their sewer, thriving on such philosophy. One question remains...how strong are their convictions?
1. There Will Be No Blood This Time

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>Preface:  
><span>There Will Be No Blood This Time<span>

_"Start...from the beginning."_

_Casey was seconds from throwing the chair he was sitting in, or anything he could get his hands on. He had already pitched a full cup of water at the man across from him. Casey was more enraged that the water seemed to have no effect, and only made him remove his glasses and expertly clean them off on a small square of fabric he kept in his pocket. He had the same patient voice asking the _**same **_question, again. Always the beginning; Casey was sick of telling this story to the same man who asked it every day, sometimes more than once a day. The man - _**the doctor**_. "I want my phone call."_

_"This isn't a jail, Mr. Jones. Or do you prefer that I call you Arnold? I understand that your friends call you Casey. Would Casey make you more comfortable? This is for your own good, not because you're a criminal. Though please do keep in mind, the latter could be true if you don't explain to me why you did what you did. You do remember, don't you?" His patient voice grated on Casey's nerves in a way that would be dangerous if they were on the street rather than in this man's arena._

_"YES!" Casey bellowed. "And I'd do it again. 'Sides, you could'a fooled me. Place sure feels like jail. Ya couldn'ta bought a plant or a decorative pillow to make it at least seem a lil' cozy?"_

_"Have you been to jail, Mr. Jones?" Casey's eyes snapped up, at first in shock and then he felt his brow furrow in irritation. He didn't like the tone, that same placid and dry, unsympathetic, mechanical manner. Casey felt a growl echo in the back of his throat for his annoyance, one he had to push down and demand remain in the swell of his gullet, rather than directed at the man across from him._

_"No. No I haven't been _**in **_jail. Don't your fancy notebook tell you that?"_

_"These are just words on paper - I'd rather hear it from you."_

_"So's you can get a different answer out of me?" Casey roared. "You _**know **_what happened. I _**told **_you already." Casey didn't like being in that chair, in that room - it was staunch, white, lacking character. "I'm not crazy." Casey simmered, only enough to let guilt wash over him. The fact remained that he had changed his story a few times. He wasn't sure if the doctor was recording his words or if he was simply noting Casey's story in the file that he always seemed to have. As a result, the story had started with only him, it had evolved to include several allies and then even to the extreme version of those accomplices being turtle men. Casey figured, he was in a place which allowed for his story to be seen as complete audacity. The closer he got to the truth, to what had truly led to his being locked behind the gate of a nut house, the more he figured he fit in the padded rooms and white clad nurses who seemed to look at all the patience with skepticism._

_Today, only today, Casey figured he'd do his best to give the whole story in the hopes it might earn him the freedom he so painfully craved. As, at this point, all other avenues failed him._

_"Alright, you want the beginning - the whole story, you got it. But don't say I didn't warn ya. It was a normal day, mostly normal...okay it wasn't normal at all for anyone's standards but me and April. It's not everyday you find a dead body in the city. People die everyday, but they don't just leave them lying around...so I guess that's where it started, with the dead body."_

_The doctor held up a finger as if to interrupt Casey and as a result the burly man paused. "I think perhaps, today, it would be best if you tell me this story without my input. If it's told, in detail, here." Casey was baffled as a notebook and pen were slid across the table in his direction. He gaped, openly, at the two items._

_"You gotta be joking..."_

_Ten minutes, and an empty room later, Casey was surrounded by little balls of paper, crumpled to their smallest measurement. He wrinkled his nose in frustration but started to write..._

_I'm not crazy...I'm really not. I'm NOT crazy. I'm NOT crazy. I. AM. NOT. CRAZY._

_As I was telling the **doctor**, who the hell would give that man a title is beyond me, it started with the body. Well it actually started like any normal night. Normal for me and Raph. Yeah, Raph's a turtle - and I'm not talking the pond kind. Though I bet he'd like a pool..._

* * *

><p>Casey's feet beat the pavement, the sound rolled like thunder around the vigilante. He knew overhead, a much less loud and far more graceful keeper of peace and social order followed along the edge of the rooftops, stalking Casey's direction just in case the hoodlum they chased actually escaped the man in the hockey mask. The cheap criminal had a gun in one hand and a small brown bag of loot in the other, tucked under his arm. Casey, as he huffed and puffed, adrenaline kicking into his veins and excitement rushing him into overdrive like a junkie on speed, picked up his pace. He figured it wasn't just dumb luck that had he and his closest friend running into those less honest members of society. Casey sometimes believed that fate brought him to where he was and gave him the opportunity to right these wrongs.<p>

The scrawny, nondescript thief ducked sharply around a corner, dipping into an alley that shot out from the side of the seedy and dank street. Casey knew why too; three more blocks and they would be in the heart of bustling New York City. Though the criminal would have better luck shaking Casey and his unknown pursuant above, it also meant he'd be more likely to run into authentic law enforcement as well, therefore he would have better luck trying to shake them in the gruesome bowels of the city. It was gritty here and unsafe, Casey figured, for the target he chased, particularly because of his invisible back-up. No petty thief could escape Raphael, if the ninja above didn't want them to.

Casey skirted the corner like he was on wheels, his shoulder brushed the brick corner of the building. Later it would sting, now he barely noticed it. It was when he actually crested the threshold that he banked a little too sharply and ran head first into the cheap criminal who, to Casey's shock, was unmoving. Casey's force knocked them both end over end and they went sprawling and skidding to the harsh city pavement. Casey felt it's rough nature catch bits of his flesh and tear at the exposed skin like sandpaper made of gravel. He heard the metal of the gun as it clanked to the city street and the jewels spill out of his burlap sack, showering the ground.

"Case!" He heard Raph hiss. The way his friend spat his name was not in a concerned tone for the tumble he and the assailant had taken. It was warning. Casey, however, had not had time to consider what Raph's inflection might mean as the grounding of them both had jostled the criminal to action again. He was on his feet and running, leaving the pilfered items and his weapon. "RAPH! He's getting away!" Casey shouted while scrambling to his feet. He saw, from the corner of his eye, a glint of metal and hiss of the object cut the air next to Casey's face. He watched the weapon, now aware it was one of Raph's sais, expertly catch the shirt of the criminal. It sliced through the fabric and startled him enough to cause him to slow. With that Casey caught him, leaping onto his back and bringing them both back to the pavement. It wasn't intentional that Casey twisted his arm to the point of fracture, but by the time he had the man tied, the criminal was on his last nerve.

"What'd he stop for?" Casey asked as he climbed off from the man and wiped his hairline, just over his mask, with the back of his hand and puffed out a sigh of relief. _"That."_ Raph grumbled, picking up his fallen weapon and pointed one of his thick digits at a lump at the back of the alley. "Someone got it, when this winner here," Raph toed the tied man in the ribs, "came around the corner, whoever was attacking them ran off." Raph jerked his thumb off toward the fire escape. "By the time I got to the roof, he was gone, but left us that." Raph nodded his chin over toward the back of the alley again.

* * *

><p><em>Now I saw my granny when she was all dressed up in her burial gown, but I've never seen a dead body like that. Mangled and broken. Bruised too. Spooked Raph, and Raph don't spook easily...<em>

* * *

><p><strong><em>::Author's Notes::<em>**

_We had posted this story before. We have revamped parts and changed the delivery a little. We weren't going to post it and keep it for ourselves but changed our minds. Here it is again. We hope it makes sense and we hope that you enjoy it. If you want the full effect and intended maximum viewing enjoyment, you can find this it on Stealthy Stories (under the same name). For now we will make do with this formatting. Thank you for reading. It is appreciated._

_**Stoic:** I don't want to get all of what I want to say out in the first note since I expect loads more to come with each chapter. This story is our baby right now; we've paired up and decided to have a cute bundle of joy made of tears and sadness and angst and drama and all the good stuff that makes a story. I hope you guys like we've got in store for you and get ready because this is definitely only the beginning. Hopefully you'll stick around with us to see this baby grow and all that junk. Oh man. I'm excited. Stupidly excited for this to unfold. We both are in fact-we squealed like school girls over it for a while before it occurred to us that we had to actually write it for it to count at all. :) I hope you like it too and I hope its caught your interest enough that you're ready and waiting for more. Thank you so much for reading!_

_**Harley:** I'm exhausted. So forgive me in advance if this note makes no sense whatsoever. XD I'm usually pretty wordy about the thought processes and actual execution that goes into our stories. Trust me when I say there was a lot for this one. It's going to be a monster that likely consumes my soul and then regurgitates it just to eat it again. But it's okay because I really, really think it's going to be worth it._

_I think it would be better to give you an overview on the story here rather than the chapter simply because that's as far as we are at this point. Stoic and I are excited about this story and the path it will take. I hope, with all my heart, that you guys reading it enjoy it too. It is important to not just look at the pretties but to read them as they are integral to the story overall. But you probably knew that if you made it this far down the page. ^_^ Let me just say…thank you for reading this, I do hope you enjoyed the first chapter and would really appreciate any words you have to offered about the nature of this story._


	2. All Along, Thought I Was Doing the Right

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>Chapter One:  
><span>All Along, Thought I Was Doing the Right Thing<span>

_It looked like a person, but not really at the same time. He was dead, that man was very clearly dead. There was blood - oh God there was so much blood everywhere - it was like a God damn massacre, all fot his one body. Raph didn't know what to do either. So we stood there for a long time wishing someone had an answer cause we weren't coming up with any. I don't even remember what I was thinking, not right then at least. But if I had to guess it would've been a lot of panicked screaming and yelling._

_Now I can tell you what I think about it now, some time after. I think that everyone else is crazy and I'm the only sane one cause I might not have known what I was seeing then but I know now. What I saw was like nothing anyone should ever had to witness, nothing anyone should have to go through. But I was also wondering how I get myself into these messes..._

* * *

><p>Casey wondered dumbly how long it would take the body to go putrid; or if it had already rotted enough to stink but the alleyway was rancid by itself and covered the stench. That was, at least, until Raph gave him a hearty shove. The words spilling out of the turtle's mouth indicated that he'd been talking for sometime and was annoyed by his being ignored while Casey was left staring at the mutilated remains of what was a human being. He wasn't sure what had happened to the person, but it vaguely resembled his bat's work should it be out of control, coupled with some third or fourth source weapons that Casey couldn't identify even in his imagination. There were bruises all over the stark white skin and blood caked in the crevices of joints, having dripped from various slices into the body as if a blade - or something equally as sharp - had attacked it. "Did you see who did this?" Casey asked, his eyes glued to the remains, concerned momentarily about if he should be calling the cops or running. He was lost in his own world again as he awaited Raph's response. When he didn't get it immediately, he turned. "Raph?" It was when he circled around behind himself that he realized why his friend left the question hanging.<p>

Casey wasn't alone.

"Who's Raph?" The one man, of the two, that was standing asked. Casey froze for a moment, certain he had been caught in an act that was not his or, worse, found by the two unholy gentleman that might mutilate a corpse this brutally. He had no way to escape and his brain was too muddled then to think far enough passed his panic. The other man was knelt by their tied prisoner, Casey's eyes flicking wildly to him. He was undoing all of Casey's work as the man tugged at the ties of the confining rope.

"Hey! That's my bad guy - took a lot o' sweat to catch him. What are you doing?" Casey complained, though somewhat in a little bit of a whine for his uncertainty, as the man helped the thief to his feet and let him run off, which he did with zeal. It frustrated Casey more than anything else as not only could he be hurt next, but his hard work certainly wasn't paying off in that moment as he watched his catch scurry into the night.

"Not anymore; he can have his petty loot. You have bigger problems. Trust me, you'll be glad he wasn't tacked on the end of your misfortune." The man said in a snide, snarky snap as he climbed to his feet and smoothed the knees of his pants. Casey watched him lightly dipped his hands into his pockets; it irked him even more as the cool and collected manner of this man didn't match how frantic and stunned he was by the entire situation.

"I didn't do that!" Casey immediately barked before he could stop himself. Fear welled up in his throat all over again as he felt a lump gather there that he had a tough time swallowing against. Never had Casey felt so guilty - so scared - for something he hadn't even a hand in. He was but as innocent a bystander as he liked to think the dead body was - as he believed, at the end of the day, no one deserved to lie dead like that.

Both men stopped and looked at him with stony expressions, as if they were burdened by his outburst and clear distress. The one who'd let his captive criminal go allowed his eyes obviously catch on the bat Casey had. In that instant, Casey let his hand drop further and even tucked it a little behind his leg, as if trying to hide it so it couldn't possibly be misconstrued…as things certainly seemed to be. "I might be the only person to believe you right now, which can be good and bad for you. Did the real culprit see you?" He asked sharply, his voice low but with clear crispness to every syllable.

"No." Casey wasn't sure of his answer though as Raph - in his waving arms and trying to get Casey's attention - had made it clear that he _had_seen whoever did this. That was the only reason Casey's voice shook, though it easily came off as fear. Had he been in a clearer coherency, he may have had the presence of mind to ask them questions of his own. Such as, for starters, why they weren't panicking and what they were doing there in the first place. But instead, he was mostly begging for the seconds to pass when he could escape from there and ask Raph what the hell was going on.

"Then you'll want to leave...now." The one who had initially asked who Raph was spoke again. His voice was strangely patient, in stark contrast to the one who had such a snarky bite, but it was clear, in their appearance, that they were family. As different as they looked even in their posture, one with hands in his pockets, closed off from Casey in that moment and apparently bothered by his presence, and the other with arms at his side and a softness to his face as he stepped a little closer to the midnight vigilante, they were so obviously brothers or cousins of some sort. They had the same nose and little difference in their face shape with the same soft dark eyes, yet with lines of wear and premature aging in places that should not exist on such blatantly youthful faces.

"But -" Casey started to protest, however he was cut off sharply as he felt a hand close around his upper arm and give him a hearty jerk. Casey stumbled a little to the side of a dumpster that was cast in heavy shadow. _"Are you retarded? Listen to the men and meet me on the roof. Stop playing around." _Casey didn't have time to argue as Raph was gone already, but Casey would never mistake that voice - the gruff voice of his best friend. He didn't hesitate to follow Raph's orders either, though part of him felt compelled to ask more - after all, they could very well be the murderers themselves. But it was his stronger desire to speak with his friend, which overpowered the part of him that wanted to know more, that had him agreeing with Raph. Casey leaned around the dumpster, where both men were more interested in the dead body than the one who first witnessed it. Casey blinked hard, convinced he was imagining things - that would make this much easier to handle. He then made his exit as discrete as he could, but it was next to impossible for the way Casey's mind didn't seemed connected to his body's control. Every time his brain signaled for him to move left, it was as if his body misread and kept jarring to the right for how weak and wobbly he was on his own otherwise strong legs. It was the fire escape on the back of the building that Casey used, all in the hopes of remaining unseen. Never had it been more clear that he was just a man and not nearly as skilled as his shell-bound counterpart, who had the grace of a jungle cat in his natural habitat. Only Raph's environment was the rooftops and nighttime shadows where his stealthy equal was left to trees and dense forest underbrush. That left Casey to neither as clearly the concrete wonderland befell him and he was fairly certain that, no matter how much he could convince himself he was as agile as Tarzan, he would fail miserably if he attempted a swing from a branch.

He tripped on the last bar of the fire escape when he climbed onto the roof and barely managed to catch himself before planting face-first into the ground below. But somehow he succeeded, just barely steadying to his feet before he peeked a little downward over his shoulder. Normally Casey wasn't that clumsy, but he was skittish and startled from whatever had happened below. _Whatever_happened below, Casey would see it as that for many days to come, as it was all so very bizarre it did seem as if sense could be made of it. "Raph, geez, ya just left me hangin' there, pal. Could'a used you, ya know." Casey wasn't accusatory, but certainly shocked.

"Right 'cuz hangin' out would have helped the situation." Raph retorted hastily and Casey understood, not that he didn't to begin with.

"Okay, so that was weird." Casey finally commented, stating the painfully and blatantly obvious. He shook his head and pushed the hockey mask up above to rest on his forehead. There were beads of sweat dotting his cheeks - the worst part was that a vast majority came not from their running but from the two men that had approached him. "And he let my catch go. Just like that. What a waste." This time his words were a complaint, but not to the point of annoyance. Casey figured he had no clout to back his bitching for the fact that he somehow scrapped by the possibility of a murder charge. "Raph..." Casey cooed, the weight of it sinking down onto his shoulders like a ton of bricks falling from a skyscraper. "What happened…?"

"I don't know." The turtle's voice sounded, if Casey didn't know better, scared. Of all the ranges of emotional inflections Raph's voice could have, which really amounted to a small cheat sheet Casey could tuck away in his wallet, this was not one he heard often. In fact, Casey could possibly count each time on one hand and still have a whole hand left to use and some fingers to spare on the first. Raph truly didn't have an answer and that too rattled Casey - there was no snappy come-back and no plan to work off, one that maybe Casey to contribute to, as Raph simply didn't even know where to begin. Raph's basic 'I don't know' drew out a number of other fears in Casey. No one, besides Casey, would have been able to detect the slight waiver in Raph's gravely tone.

"Should we call the police? And by we, I mean I...should I call the police?" Casey asked, trying to offer some semblance of normalcy to their dialogue. He didn't particularly trust the police as there were a hell of a lot of things they _let_get by that upset Casey - he often figured he did better work then they did anyhow. Right then, however, he felt powerless as to what could be done, particularly as he was too startled to question the men that interrupted them in the first place. But he received nothing that would have been normal from Raph, as the turtle merely glanced back at his friend with the ends of his bandana whipping around behind him in the air that cut through the night between the buildings. "Say something, you're freaking me out, Raph. Something worth while, 'cause I got nothing and we're kinda running out of time right now. That gun is still down there and all those jewels. And the body, oh God that body. Those guys, they freak me out too. Hey, what's that sound?" Casey asked, cutting off the direction of his words and sharply turning his attention to the sudden sound that filled the air. He squinted his eyes as if that would help him hear better, while a piercing wail screamed through the previously still air surrounding them. If Casey didn't know better, he would say it sounded like a woman shrieking for how high pitched it was.

"DUCK!" Raph boomed, springing forward and catching Casey by the shoulders, jerking his friend downward to the roof top. Narrowly missing both of them, a long spear-like object sliced through the air and stuck in the external door leading back inside the building as if it were made of plastic rather than metal. It was clearly the source of the screaming as it grew louder and shriller as it whipped passed the two of them.

"What the hell was that?" Casey shrieked, in the pitch of a four-year-old girl as he scrambled up to peer around for what might have thrown it at them. Raph had jerked around, his sais unsheathed while another howling sound ripped through the air. It was clear, as it grew louder fast, that it too was aimed at them. He gritted his teeth as if that would better prepare him and certainly fuel his anger, that which Raph found necessary on many occasion to make him prime in his skill. He dove out of the way of a second spear and his sai cut upwards to catch a third, changing it's velocity and pitching it off in another direction before he wheeled out of harms way. The night, however seemed to be suddenly filled with shrieks as the weapons came in at an alarming rate, from a source Raph didn't have time to locate as he fended off the lethal objects. He managed to knock one away only to hear another narrowly miss him as he spun in his spot and kicked it too with the strength of his tough foot.

Casey was ducking, his hands over his head, not really sure which way to go first or what to do. Raph had turned for a brief second to see where Casey was as there was a momentary lull in the sky's activity. As he did, he saw one of the javelin's headed for his friend. "Casey! NO!" He sprang to action and jumped for his friend without a thought to what sort of mess he could put himself in. He went shoulder first, so that his plastron faced Casey's chest, as he dove to knock the man out of the way. He wasn't fast enough though, at least not for himself, but he was just fast enough for Casey. Casey tumbled backwards onto the ground, his peach skin skidding across the surface and ripping at the tissue as dots of blood gathered on the surface of the wound. In the same swift motion, however, the projectile made a wicked cracking sound as it collided with Raph's shell, point first. It was just as loud and ringing as the wailing spears. It pierced through the hard surface and sliced through his soft flesh inside before poking barely through the front of his chest. "Case...y..." Raph mumbled, his arm instantly going weak as his weapons tumbled from his finger tips and then he plummeted to his knees. His entire body collapsed against the concrete, his side limp with the object jutted from his body at a severe angle for how suddenly and swiftly it had pierced through Raph's thickness.

"RAPH...oh no no no no RAPH!" Casey scrambled to his knees, unconcerned about his own injury, as he pushed aside other fallen spears to get to Raph. He scooped up his friend's arm, moving it out of the way to see the wound and barb lanced through him. It was as he tried to see how it had pushed through him that Casey saw blood starting to pool around the entry point, slicking the shaft of the spear in red. "Hey! Raph! No! Wake up…come on, Raph…please!" he groaned, gingerly touching the spot and wincing despite the fact that Raph wasn't conscious to howl in pain himself.

"Payton, don't." Casey barely processed the fact that another voice wafted around him. In fact, it sounded like he was under water for how foreign just the voice was. His mind filled slowly as all he could focus on was the small rise and fall of Raph's chest, part of which he was afraid might suddenly stop. A man dropped down next to the both of them, perched on Raph's other side as Casey was practically on top of Raph from the point end. He seemed unalarmed by the fact that there was a massive turtle man under Casey's hands as his eyes were more settled on the weapon through him. It was as if he were transfixed by the wound rather than the person bearing it. It was bizarre to Casey, though the entire situation was scary confusing to him as he was just simply afraid his friend was going to die.

"You said you weren't seen….this doesn't happen to people who go unnoticed." The man said to Casey, as if scolding him like he were a small child. Casey felt his jaw go slack, stunned by the words as he couldn't believe what was happening then.

"Screamers don't just spawn from nowhere. Clearly you were seen. That's the last lie you get to tell - if you want to survive, that is. It would behoove you to say all that you know next time as we don't need to be cleaning up more messes." The snap was clear and Casey wouldn't mistake that voice again. His cool demeanor and stand-offish snark was enough to grate on Casey when he wasn't as emotionally distressed as he was right then. Instead, at that moment, it made him feel defeated. And to top that off, as he had nothing to do or say, he was pretty sure he would have to hand Raphael to his family in a body bag because it was his fault his friend had died. After all, he was the one too stunned and surprised to string a coherent enough thought together to save him.

It was when Payton - the softer spoke of the two - moved to actually touch the wound and the spear that Casey snapped. "NO! Don't! Stop! Stay away from Raph, or I swear to God I will destroy you. You wanna see? You think that guy down there was bad, I'll show you how bad it can get. Ever been hit with a golf club? Hurts like a bitch - lay off him or you'll find out." Casey growled, pulling at Raph's arm to drag him away from Payton though it only resulted in the smallest shift of his body closer to Casey. Payton frowned, his eyes flickering up to the other and Casey didn't like the look that passed there. "Stop that too! Stop doing that! Like you're some sorta detectives with codes and secretive signals - who are you people? What is going on! Why'd they stop coming?"

The one called Payton sighed and scooted back on his feet, moving away as Casey had asked it seemed. Though Casey didn't take note of it as he was too upset to notice. "Because the message was delivered." He gestured to Raph's limp and unconscious body. "Please, we're not trying to hurt you. I'm a doctor…I can help him, I can save him if you let me just try…as for who we are, my name is Payton and this here is my brother, Ash. We're just trying to help…please…" Casey was skeptical of him, unsure as he wasn't particularly fond of these brothers and their rather unexplainable display of calm and collected knowledge. That or this was a dream and Casey had spent so much time with turtles, he had forgotten that people should be scared and didn't think to manipulate his dream characters to be alarmed. But he heard Ash's voice - dry and sharp too as it seemed inherent of him - come from behind him.

"How many people are perfectly alright with your friend here? Not even an eye batted…trust us or don't, that's up to you. We don't want you to die though and I can guarantee, without a doubt in my mind, that you will die should you deny Payton access to help your friend. And if you refuse to listen to us, not only will Raph die, but you as well and probably all the people you love and admire. I told you…you've got bigger problems, clearly bigger than I thought after your lie before. Its your funeral, should you turn your back on your last chance at salvation."

* * *

><p><em>So these two weird brothers, and let me tell you - their they're weird beyond belief, claim to have the answers I need. With Raph dying, what else was I supposed to do? Not much in the choice department, that's for sure. I didn't know we were seen, I had a lot of things on my mind. <em>If I didn't go with them, Raph was going to be turtle soup and I don't much like soup, you know? Instead, I figured for the sake of my friend...I needed hear them out. Plus, I was still curious about the person who could have done that to that poor old man, least I think it was a man - and he was old...maybe...<em>_

_Damn it, I'm not sure about much anymore. Everything's all backward and messed up. I guess that's what you get when your best pal is a ninja turtle. Yes, ninja...did I not mention that part? Raph is a ninja, so are his brothers though. I'll get to them soon. They didn't show up until later. Right then I was worried about Raph._

_I though I was going to see two dead bodies that night..._


	3. I'm No Longer Running Smooth

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>Chapter 2:  
><span>I'm No Longer Fine, I'm No Longer Running Smooth<span>

_I didn't want Raph to die. Hell I didn't want to die that day either. I mean, I got a lot of stuff to live for - I'm too young to die. I had no idea what message he was talking about, unless it was to kill us both. If so, message received! I didn't know we were seen. Raph, he was the one that did and he wasn't talking much._

_I'm not dumb, you know. And I'm not crazy. So seems like a waste not to just throw me in the jail this place mimics. You sure this ain't jail? Feels sure like it...still. Where's my phone call?_

_Guess I'll just have to pray and hope that maybe, just maybe, you'll grow a couple of brain cells and treat me like the victim I am, not the villain you made me..._

* * *

><p>"He's going to die isn't he? That's too much blood to be normal. Is he really a doctor?" Casey swung on the surly man, as he'd given up his spot next to Raph to take to pacing relentlessly. Payton was knelt still next to the turtle and Casey found himself restless as he didn't know whether to trust these two or not. He had seen enough criminals get clever before and the last thing he wanted was to trust those who might have caused this in the first place. Yet, at the same time, he couldn't help but be forced to trust them as he had no other options while his friend bled to death. The wind hadn't yielded and only seemed to pick up on the roof as it whipped Casey's hair around his face. "Does he know anything about turtle anatomy?"<p>

Ash watched Casey, following him with just his eyes, as he paced back and forth on the roof. Casey could feel it. "Yes, he's a doctor. I suspect, if you haven't noticed, taking your friend to a traditional ER would be problematic at best." He was pragmatic to the extreme. Even his tone oozed logic in this situation where Casey simply wanted to hit something - or someone - to release some tension. He refrained, with the best of his ability, from popping Ash in the face just then. The lanky man continued, "It would warrant government agents and curious scientists prepared to let your friend die for the experimentation, at worst. I don't think you understand how ravenous the scientific community is. Like I don't want you to die, I don't want your friend to die either."

Casey stopped pacing, he stopped moving even. He was baffled by the man's comment, until rage flashed through his body causing a crimson hint to cross his cheeks, all when he realized what his words could mean. "WHY! So you can test on him yourself!" Casey boomed. "I'm not going to let you lay one finger on him if you think this is your ticket to the big times, pal. You're gonna have to go through me if thats what you want." An accusatory finger was jabbed in Ash's direction and the man took an obvious step back.

"You're out of your mind. But I suspect you also knew that already, the insane usually do." Ash said in a deadpan, but reached up and smoothed the gray vest he wore. It was very clearly a habit, Casey watched him do it every chance that arose, and he wanted to reach over and wrinkle up the fabric just to irritate the man as much as he was frustrated by him. "Payton knows nothing of turtle anatomy, but he knows a great deal about the human one. He's a geneticist at his root." Ash seemed unfazed by how horrible that sounded to Casey right then, on many fronts. It sounded impersonal to him. "No one will be able to help him. No one, if not Payton. You must be patient."

"Seems like you have enough of those for the both of us! Mind sharing?" Casey barked before he could stop himself. "Who did this? What message? Why would they care if we saw or not, particularly if I'm the one on the score card for their murder rap? Kinda defeats the purpose of killin' me instead, doesn't it?"

"I don't want you to die." Ash said again, this time with force and conviction. "Hell I don't even know your name and I don't want you to die. I don't want Raph to die. I certainly don't want to die and I'll be damned if I let my brother die. This blip of existence we get on this God forsaken rock is the only thing we can count on. We must fight to defy the odds since everything is seeking a way to end it. Every cat has a mouse and I prefer an underdog - forgive the analogy and pun - story. We're the mice, there's always something or someone that would pray on us."

"Then why did you let him go?" Casey scowled, still somewhat bitter on his loss of the thief, but only because he was confused. "He my was my criminal, my catch."

A smirk upturned one corner of Ash's normally placid face, one that only managed to confuse Casey more. "He was the mouse, wasn't he?"

"ASH!" Payton's voice cut into the dull hum of silence that seemed to lull around Casey as he considered what Ash meant by that comment. He couldn't tell if he was the cat and the criminal the mouse, or the criminal the mouse and someone else entirely was the cat. "I need you." Payton asked and Casey watched the color drain from Ash's face entirely before a soft blush crept up his jaw line in splotchy blobs against his fair skin. It didn't take knowing him for Casey to see that he was terrified of whatever it was Payton wanted. However, he squared his shoulders and, once more, smoothed the front of his vest. He carefully, at a fair distance, dipped down next to Payton who was fingering the projectile. Casey followed suit as he wanted to see what was going on and couldn't help but feel a little unsafe lingering away from either of these men.

"I can't read it - it's archaic. Hieroglyphs of some sort, I'm guessing." The softer and more quiet brother looked toward the extraordinarily tidy one.

"What's'at mean?" Casey was panicking again; this time with little bounces in his squatted position next to Raph. He could see, over Raph's shell, where the two men were looking as a series of grooves in the metal. The dips were different from the series of long spiral pits that ran down the length of the weapon. Casey could only assume those were what made them sound like they were screaming as they cut through the air. These, however, were different from the deep primary grooves. They were delicate in nature, clearly carved in with purpose and a careful hand as not to disrupt its purpose and design.

"It's the message." Ash said swiftly and simply, making Casey's eyes bug out some for his surprise.

"Yeah, but what's it mean? What's it say?" Casey asked, leaning over to look at Raph's face. "Hang in there buddy." He softened for a second in the hopes that his friend could hear him and would take his advice. "We'll figure this out." He mumbled to him, though he was putting a lot of faith in these two brothers as he hadn't a clue what to do about the pictures on the surface of the spear. He had a moment of guilt, for the fact that Raph had been protecting him - recklessly - when he got speared. But he would have done the exact same for his friend, there was no doubt about it. Raph's shell was badly damaged, with a crack radiating down from the entry wound as if someone had thrown a heavy enough rock at him to cause a dip inward and a spidery crack across the surface. Casey didn't have time to be sick, or even consider that he might be, from the way his friend was perched uncomfortable and spotted in blood.

"It's ritualistic and sacrificial. Old magic. Some early voodoo maybe. I can't be sure, though. I'll need more time, which we have none of." Ash was more mumbling than speaking to them. Casey's eyes flicked up to him, for all his neat attire and strange accessories his hair was a wild mess of misbegotten spiky chocolate colored locks. Casey wondered if he was going mad, surely none of this was happening, but he watched Ash - who had been keeping his distance from the blood and hadn't dipped his knees far enough down to actually touch the rooftop - unbutton his sleeves and roll them back. For as kept as he was, Casey was surprised to see a black tattoo ringed around his wrist. But he didn't have the chance to ask about it as Ash spoke again "We'll need blood. Not this turtle's."

"Me." Casey said immediately, though he hadn't a clue why he was offering up his blood to Ash. He would just do whatever it took to get Raph better and if that meant draining his entire body of blood, then so be it. "If - ya know, ya mean it'll save Raph." His eyes settled on Ash who caught the other man's eye at the same moment. He gave a single nod to Casey indicating that it was exactly what he meant.

"Not yet." He untied the violet colored ascot around his neck. "We haven't much time if we're going to get this thing out of your friend." He gave the fabric a swift and sharp shake so it snapped, as if to shake all the wrinkles out. "Hold it...there." He instructed Casey, pointing to the tip which was poking out of Raph's front plastron. "Don't let it move."

"Casey." The vigilante said after a moment. "It's Casey."

Ash nodded again. "Casey. I wish I could say it's nice to meet you. I think we'd both know that's a lie." He told him pointing again to the exit point. "Payton." He turned to his brother and gestured to the end of the pike. With Casey on one end and Payton on the other, Ash inched forward, and Casey saw him clearly cringe. He was looking at the spot where Raph's blood had pooled back into the grooves of the writing. Carefully he placed the scrap of fabric over it and lightly pressed. More gingerly than when he'd started, he peeled it back. The symbols, made of Raph's blood, stained the violet silk to a dark crimson but remained in tact - clear enough to define their shape and purpose. Ash held it up to examine it in the moonlight. Satisfied, he nodded to Payton. "Now."

Casey glanced down the shaft at the opposite end, where Payton was, hoping for some direction. "You can let go now. I'll need you over here, Casey." Payton waved him around Raph's body. "Your hand please." Payton's bushy eyebrows shot up on his forehead as Casey hesitated as if trying to decipher Payton's words. _'Oh'_, he mumbled and reached out to the man with darker complexion and matching dark hair. "Palm up." Payton instructed and Casey obliged. It was only as he was holding his hand up, fingers splayed out, that he realized he was shaking.

He didn't bother trying to hide it, though he wouldn't be able to if he wanted. "Is he going to live?" Casey asked, his eyes wide, unblinking and glassy. He wasn't the sort to cry but right then he felt sobs well in his throat if he wasn't careful to choke them back.

"For now." Payton nodded. "It's likely, I have hope for him. For now, we must get rid of the spear through him so that he might heal. It needs to be fed blood to disintegrate, like a hungry animal for the taste of hemoglobin. I'm more concerned about the message and what it actually says."

"Who did this?" Casey asked, his face pale in the moon light as he thought of the possibilities.

"Not now, that can come later when we're all safer..." Payton warned softly. "Now lets worry about Raph. Your friend. He still _could_ die." Payton explained and Casey pushed his palm more firmly in the doctor's direction as if reminding him it was there. Payton fumbled with a pocket knife that had been extracted from his jeans. "It might sting a little." The man warned Casey before he sliced into the flesh of Casey's palm. The vigilante didn't even flinch, absorbing the pain as it was well worth it for his friend. _For Raph_, he thought. Amid all the strange things he'd seen in his life, this was not one he could have expected. At eight, when he was running the streets of New York in bare feet and playing in the water of an uncapped fire hydrant, on the roof with a mutant turtle and some ancient magic writing that could kill him didn't top the list and he fancied himself a fairly creative child. Clearly he had been wrong.

Payton had caught his wrist and tipped his hand so the blood, which had pooled in Casey's palm, poured down into the grooves of the spear. Casey watched it inch down the shaft and gather in the pits and divots as if they were tiny beds created just for the blood. It met Raph's blood and even crept all the way down to Raph's shell where the object disappeared. It was there that it started, as if the object were suddenly made of dust, to trickle into a pile of ash gathered at the base of Raph's shell. "NO!" Casey scrambled forward, but he felt hands on his shoulders holding him to his spot. He squirmed against the hands, but not enough to actually succeed in escaping, because he figured if he did it would do no good. He expected the blood to simply pour out of Raph when the spear vanished. But, to his shock, it didn't.

"It was a warning Casey, not a death blow. They want to see you die, to taste victory." It was Ash's voice that wafted against his ears. "You're still the mouse." Casey looked up to the man who was standing, some feet away, looking at the fabric of the ascot tie yet speaking to man who'd almost lost his best friend. It made him uneasy to hear as he didn't like being hunted by anything, let alone something that could hurt them so easily and was willing to do so without hesitation. "Only the one that hits makes the message." Ash held up the fabric. "At their root, they're magic just like their weaponry."

"WHO! Who did this? You keep saying all these things without givin' any answers! I wanna know! What's all about anywho? Who would want that to happen?" Casey inched closer to Raph, exasperation in his tone, as he wanted to sure his friend was all right. He touched Raph's cheek, worried as he was still pale in color and unconscious where he lay. But at least there was no longer an object sticking from his middle, like he was a piece of a very brutal shish-ka-bob. The brothers exchanged swift glances. Ash shook his head, but Payton nodded and a sly little smirk crossed the standing man's face as clearly something was spoken between their glances.

"Very well then. You tell him." Ash's coy tone was frightening to Casey for all he'd heard was a sharp deadpan. "That body in the ally was an accident, that wasn't meant to happen. They're never that sloppy."

Payton bowed his head and spoke to Raph's unconscious form as he wouldn't look up at Casey. "Vampires in the common nomenclature. The one that you would probably understand best, that is." It was lost on Casey, however, as the extensive bizarre nature of the night's events led his mind to simply seize on him. He couldn't fully process Payton's words, or ask to have them explained, before he collapsed there next to Raph in his surprise.

* * *

><p><em>And just like that. BOOM! I was out. It's not everyday you hear that sort of nonsense just tumble out of some doctor's mouth - like it could be real or something. I was so sure they were pulling my leg. Rather I would be, after I woke up. First, I thought it was a dream. A real scary and bizarre dream, you know? Like the kind where you wake up in your underwear, in front of a crowd of people, only they're all acting like its normal too.<em>

_Weird._

_The guys were there when I woke up, but I knew we weren't in Kansas anymore. Ash, that Ash, he kept a neat house - just like he did his clothes. April, my girl, she said I should take a leaf out of his book and do a dish or two sometime. If you ask me, I think she'd prefer I didn't if you know what I mean._

_But it was then that things got _**_REALLY _**_weird..._


	4. I Never Had a Problem Facing Fear

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>Chapter Three:  
><span>I Never Had a Problem Facing Fear<span>

_See, I suspected when I woke up, it'd all just be a crazy nightmare. Nightmare, did you get that part? I'd tell Raph and he'd laugh at me, tell me to quit being so dumb. And April, she'd want to know more and I could recount the my heroic tale as, well…it's my girl, ya know? She don't need to know the whole truth. Better she thinks I'm some hero, even in a dream, than the wuss I really was. Who passes out? But, you know…when I woke up, not much had actually changed except the scenery..._

* * *

><p>Casey lay unmoving for a while, his eyes still closed but his ears tuning in on his surroundings as he could hear voices. He wasn't sure who they belonged to, he couldn't match them with any of the faces he knew so well, but he could hear what they were saying. "S'what was it you said knocked him out?" It was when Raph spoke that Casey recognized someone, feeling somewhat relieved as he at least knew one of them and therefore could breath again as fear left him. But it was when someone answered, one of the voices he didn't know, that Casey tensed up, all the while still with his eyes closed as if that kept him from fully waking up. From facing his fear.<p>

"I think that it might be better, Raphael, if we wait until he wakes to explain that much. I…as strong as you and your brothers may be, I don't want you all to lie unconscious next. We only have so many beds. Please, don't get up - you shouldn't strain yourself..." The voice was soft and sincere, a sort of shy-like voice, as Casey could hear rustling about, no doubt a sign that Raph had tried to defy the man and get up before he should. Casey was slowly starting to remember these people, but he couldn't quite pull the names from the recess of his mind. Whether it was because he wanted to forget or genuinely did was still up for debate. Casey knew Raph would _not _have that, he was not the sort to sit still for anything, let alone a stranger telling him it was what was best for him. That, fortunately Casey figured, was when he heard Leo pipe in.

"Well as much as you think it would be a good idea to wait until he wakes up, I think it might be best if we heard what you have to say now. We shouldn't be here anyhow." He sounded impatient, Casey considered that for a long time as he rolled Leo's tone over in his head. It was rare that Leo sounded anything but clam and deductive; but there was an edge to his voice and Casey could tell that the unofficial-official leader had his arms folded over his chest sternly. Almost disappointed in the fact that they were there at all, assuming it had been Raph and Casey's doing. There was defense there too, likely for Raph's well being. It was Leo's way of protecting the hothead without openly doing so in a way that might bruise his ego. He would defend Raph all day long to these strangers, but later question him for the decisions he had made. "We can explain to him, whatever the case may be. Trust me, we can handle it."

"You see, as much as I want to believe you, I don't." It was Ash, the blocks fell into place when the snide one spoke up and Casey was sure it wasn't a dream. He could even picture the two of them, the spiky haired man standing taller above Leo's bulky, fit turtle frame. "I get that you're intentions are good. And I'd be happy to explain as much as I know, Leo." The bark in Ash's voice was enough to snap Casey back to reality wholly and he didn't like at all where it was going. Clearly his friends' story had been lain out for these two strangers to see, as questions in that moment weren't about where they came from or what they were. Casey knew that was because now they held all the cards in this stacked hand. Payton and Ash could have information they needed. Casey remembered, in that instant, the bloody scarf with weird runic symbols on it - he was certain they did, but part of him was terrified by those answers as much as he was the questions. "But you're not going to get the information we know just so you can take your wounded and high tail it. Facts are nice but only when tempered with experience. Experience tells me that if you do exactly what I expect, which is to just leave, you'll make a grave mistake - possibly fatal. You **can't** hide from this. I don't know where you live," Casey reasoned that - okay, maybe they didn't know _everything_, but Ash went on, "and I don't much care at this point. But trust me when I say, they'll find you."

"I thought you said they wouldn't kill us." Casey finally chimed in, making his presence known as his eyes flicked open and he found himself laying across a white sofa. Six sets of eyes turned his way with varying degrees of expression - Leo, Don and Payton all bore ones of concern and Mikey of excitement while Ash seemed surprised and Raph relieved. Raph had to have brought them up from below, or Donnie tracked Raph's phone to an unfamiliar location when the hothead didn't turn up as expected. Whatever the method, they were there now, in what appeared to be more a hospital room and not an apartment for its clean lines and impeccable upkeep. It had to belong to Ash, the man unwilling to settle for a wrinkle.

"Mornin' princess." Raph chuckled gruffly and Casey ducked his head down in instant embarrassment, though with a broad grin playing against his lips.

Ash's head turned back to the red wearing turtle. He appeared mildly amused, in his stoic manner. "I suppose that makes you a _charming _princess as you were out first." Raph, Casey could tell, was clearly offended, ready to jump up for the ribbing, but Leo's hand came down on his brother's shoulder, obviously having seen the direction Casey assumed. Both knew, as well, that even in his wounded and tired state, Raph would shred the lanky and overly neat, yet mouthy man to bits. Ash might be snarky, but he clearly wasn't a fighter by any means. The cocky little smirk on his face didn't help Raph's mood and Payton offered a swift warning only in the other's name, "Ash..." Casey watched him look up to his brother and the smirk faded and he tucked his head down a little bit, having gotten a similar unspoken message from Payton to which he heeded.

"Uh, so...what about possible death? Can we go back to that please? That part seemed pretty important." Michelangelo chimed in, poking his head unceremoniously between Leonardo and Donatello. He sounded clearly upset by the prospect, his voice a little higher pitched as his eyes were wider behind his orange colored mask. "Oh, hey Casey." He wiggled his fingers at the man in passing, smiling briefly. It was almost as if he was distracted in that second before his eyes fell back to the two foreign brothers and his look of worry replaced that of his excitement at seeing Casey awake.

"I merely said they wouldn't kill. I implied at the time - _then_. Wouldn't kill, then. You know, before you decided to tell me the entire truth."

"They?" Casey chirped, swallowing hard as he scrambled to sit up from his spot. He was leaning on his arm, a little bit weak in the knees again and glad then that he wasn't standing as he certainly wouldn't be able to hold himself up. "Raph only saw one guy - or girl I guess. What do you mean _they_, since when did _they _multiply!" Casey was clearly panicked with every inflection of his words.

"Haven't you heard that if you see one cockroach there are dozens more?" Ash asked seriously - though it wasn't that far off from his normal tone. "If you think they come in ones and twos, you're wrong. You need to rethink everything you've ever heard, every scary story you've watched on TV or read in a book. Myth is often based in fact - somewhere long ago. But only based in, normally the truths are forgotten because the story ends up warping through the ages. And suddenly nothing matches anymore. This time, the truth is scarier than the myth. Much scarier."

"Um...myth about what exactly? Everyone is awake now...can't you just tell us?" Donnie the offered words this time, as he was anxious to understand. It was clear his curiosity was getting the best of him and he wanted answers - something - to make sense of why Casey was so rattled and what Raph had witnessed that brought these two brothers to them.

"Vampires." Casey answered for him, his voice soft and quiet as if he almost didn't believe himself. "Me and Raph - we saw one I guess."

* * *

><p><em>Did I mention they were weird? Those brothers, that is. I'll never forget what Ash told me once. We were sitting there, after I realized he was serious about the vampires thing, that I needed to forget everything I'd heard and start from the get-go because something about society and fascination blah blah blah, making them cool and stuff. He said, if I met one, they would be more likely to try and eat my face.<em>

_Good thing I wear a mask._

* * *

><p>"Wait - what?" Donatello held up a three fingered hand as if to stop Casey from talking and squinted in confusion as if he weren't hearing properly. Don didn't often believe in things of just happenstance, of fate...and a myth such as vampires, based in something well beyond science, was difficult for his brain to even process. In fact, it was so much like a dream that he felt blind sighted by something so far from the scientific spectrum. His eyes, which had been on Casey when he said it, turned to the other two humans in the room. "Yeah - I was thinkin' the same thing." Raph muttered, as if it was the first time in their lives that he and Donnie were on the same mental wave length.<p>

"Ash..." Payton said again, softly - it was clearly precautionary as the man hadn't even spoken yet. "Let me." Casey could imagine the things that Ash might say there, where Payton stopped him, something about how questioning vampires coming from a five-foot-something tall, walking-talking turtle seemed hypocritical. Casey also knew that Donnie had facts to back his existence and he would use them all on these two brothers if necessary. However, it was then that it dawned on Casey; his life was weird - and if he could befriend the turtles, then perhaps he shouldn't be so quick to judge something else that seemed just as outlandish. He didn't exactly live a normal life and, truth be told, he didn't want to. Maybe Payton and Ash had facts too, and science - which Casey figured he wouldn't understand - to back their statements. It was certainly worth a shot as when he listened and gave the turtles a chance, he was hardly disappointed. Besides...if it would save their lives, then why not?

Just then the front door banged open and was instantly slammed shut, hitting the pane hard enough to make Ash wince. A huffing and puffing, chest heaving woman threw her back against it as if that would ensure it was closed tightly. Casey heard several sets of weapons rustle at the spontaneous noise, the sound of metal being unsheathed and nunchucks whipping the air was unmistakable. He had even reached around to get a weapon from his back but found himself shockingly naked without his equipment. "No. NO! Don't!" Ash was on his feet in a second and his voice raised. It was the first time Casey heard anything from him besides the simple base tone he always seemed to have, even under pressure. He held his hand up as Leo already had his katana out, his feet parted and his body ready to pounce on the intruder. "It's just Joey."

"Fuck you, Lionel!" The woman barked sharply between gulps of air, clearly still trying to regain her breath. "I'll **just **Joey you. Next time you need me, I'll leave your sorry excuse for skin to die. Or I'll wipe snot on your shirt just to watch you squirm."

"Fine then, I'll let the oversized turtles take your head off." Ash said in a deadpan with a bored shrug.

"Oversiz -" The scrawny woman, covered in sweat and filth, started to say until her eyes fell on the four turtles. She didn't blink and after she stared for several long seconds in silence, Casey was pretty sure she would start screaming any second now. But instead, her eyes flicked down to the ground at their feet. It was in that instant that Ash spoke again, drawing everyone's attention. "There's no time for that Joey, I need you're help now."

"No shit you need my help, didn't your mother ever tell you not to let strangers in the house, Ash?" She smiled at him with a lazy grin as he caught her around the upper arm and pulled her further into the apartment. Leo and Raph, of the four of them, didn't put their weapons down. Leo had, instead, let his katanas fall down to his side and Raph still had his sais up and ready in his fists. Don and Mikey, however, just seemed plain curious, if not confused, by the going ones and what exactly it all meant. Don even had moved forward, to tell them to stop as he had questions that they weren't giving proper answers to, but Joey didn't seem to be hitting a wall yet in her talking. "If not, let me be the first. Ash, you shouldn't talk to strangers, take candy from them or let them in. I'm dreaming again right? This is one of those weird ones where I wake up on the subway and the guy next to me - you in this case - tells me to quit snoring. That's never really happened." She clarified for the benefit of the four turtles and Casey, as if an afterthought as she waved a hand dismissively, still being nearly dragged by her arm. Ash pulled her down in front of the coffee table with a hearty jerk. "Easy on the goods darling, I need those ankles, knees and toes." He gestured to the scarf, ignoring her, which was spread out neatly.

"What's it say?" He asked pointedly, jabbing at it as if to redirect Joey's attention. Donnie had slipped a little forward, curious too as he peered from behind Joey to see the symbols stained into the fabric.

Joey's eyes turned back to him and she scowled before she looked back at the bloody fabric. "You're sick." She wrinkled her nose and Ash caught her chin and turned it back to the table sharply.

"It could mean life or death. See - our new friend here was impaled with a Screamer that bore _this _message. What does it say, Joey?" He pointed directly at Raph, though not without letting her face go. Raph's grip tightened first, though he had shrank back just a little bit as he was clearly disturbed by the possibly of causing a 'life or death' situation for he and his brothers.

"Ash...is he dead?" Joey asked, frowning hard as she stared down at the fabric. She had ignored Ash's question, failing to acknowledge any of it. And that much clearly frustrated Raph as the red clad turtle pushed a little forward, Payton protesting softly from behind. "No! I'm right here, ya know...waitin' for this so called expert who could read this junk. This is a joke! Ya gotta be kidding me - you claim to have all the answers and yet you ain't talkin'! Would you just stop making this show, and let us go? Don here, he could'a figured half of it out on his own by now if you'd just let us leave." He growled and it was, to Casey's surprise, Payton that stepped forward.

"It's not that simple, Raph. It's not you she means, but the doll that we were there to save tonight. The doll you saw in the alley way. No..." Payton dipped his head down and for a second, Raph seemed to soften some for how heavy everything was turning out to truly be. But his softness lasted for a second before he scowled a little bit, stepping back and plopping down to sit again. "He didn't make it. The only survivors you see are the ones standing here before you. We did our best."

Joey finally glanced back at him, after a few more seconds of silence. "Good job on the surviving thing. That doesn't happen often when you get nailed with one of those, particularly with a bunch of angry, fanged bastards. I saw this one guy that had a Screamer right through his middle. I'm still dreaming right?" She looked pointedly at Ash and he grumbled a swift '_because you haven't seen weirder things_' and gave her face a little shake by her chin which was still clutched between his fingres. "No I have, much weirder - you've never even been in a doll house." She ribbed Ash with a wide smile. "Do your new stranger friends have names?" She asked. "A simple yes or no will work because now is not the time for an introduction as I don't often barge into your house. And though this scholarly thing is fun and I could probably read it if I could get my blood pressure to drop - I came her for a reason, Ashton Lionel. That being that you need to move...like right now. NOW! They're coming!" Her voice got somewhat urgent as if she could hear or see something they couldn't. Casey reasoned that, with the night they had had so far, that might be possible "Word hit the street fast that some poor innocent bystander got caught staring at a doll gone wrong in a back alley - two other witnesses were there and then _those_ Lionel boys. I figured you had the walking, talking corpses with you." She reached down and scooped up the stained ascot, balling it up and stuffing it in her pocket, just after shaking her face loose of his grasp. "All of you, we have to move or we're going to be kibble."

* * *

><p><em>I didn't know what she meant at first.<em>

_But it was weird the way that she just came in like she belonged there. Joey is, if it's possible, weirder than those brothers. She didn't bat an eye at seeing the guys - it would take me some time before I understood why. Part of me still believed she thought it was a dream, this whole mess can only be classified as a dream for any sane person. Remember - I'm not crazy. I'd really like to get out of here. If I knew how to put a sigh in words, it would go right here._

* * *

><p>"I'll explain on the road." Joey swiftly instructed, getting to her feet and expecting the others to follow her. She was already nearing the front door when a voice interrupted her.<p>

"We can't just go out there." Leo stepped forward, determined and pointed as he had no intention of being waved from that decision. In fact, his conviction was strong in a way that was very indicative of Leo.

"Well, Blue, you're going to have to if you want to live. Which I assume you do. I mean sure stay, if you want, but damn it don't say I didn't warn you." She snapped back with the a roughness that was accompanied some by frustration and panic. She was tiny compared to Leo's girth. Even still she came back with fierceness, unconcerned with how his arm alone was at least twice her scrawny mass. But Leo merely stood still in his spot, unmoving.

"Raph's sick." Donnie added, worried as he looked to his brother. It was half to Leo that he said it, concerned that it would be a bad idea to stay with Raph unable to fight, even if they all knew Raph would be involved no matter what his health status. In fact he had already dismissed the sling that Payton had put on him and would have been picking at the gauze that was taped to his shell if he weren't so focused on what they were talking about. Don's comment was also directed to Joey as he knew too it would be hard to take Raph with them as he hadn't even been able to stand long without needing to stop and sit down some, as he was doing then - having slipped his weapons away. "He's in no condition to move and the last thing we want is to wound him further."

"He's in no condition to stay either." She explained in frustration. "You must be Raph then." She looked at him where Payton was still standing next to him, doting some as he tried to keep Raph from getting up and the red clad turtle would swat his hand gruffly away, telling him to stop trying. It didn't seem to phase the stranger as he was clearly used to dealing with more insubordinate patients. "What about him...is he sick too?" She jammed a thumb toward Casey bitterly, her eyebrow arched as she challenged the brothers. "You guys all seem to think this is up for discussion. It's not. We're leaving and its final." Her voice had gained an edge of urgency as she looked toward the widow. "Too late." She hissed as something could be seen, from quite a distance, spiraling towards the glass. "DOWN!" She jumped forward and caught Mikey on the way so they both slammed hard into the ground. It was with an 'eep!' from Mikey that they both crashed. Ash lashed out and caught Casey by the shoulder, jerking him off the white, micro-suede couch and onto the floor with him. Payton, in turn, pushed Raph off from the futon that had been pulled out so it could facilitate him in the living room and ducked down next to him.

Neither Don nor Leo had been jerked, or moved down, as Joey instructed. As a result, they hung for a second, just as there was a whistling sound, which turned into a loud and wicked scream, just before a crash sounded as the window shattered, showering the space inside with little blades of glass. It was followed by several thuds as the projectiles, just like the ones on the roof, came whizzing through the air and embedded into the wall as if they were very dangerous darts aiming for the bull's eye board. Casey glanced up just in time to see Leo expertly dodge each with quiet feet. At some point, his twin katana had found their way into his hands again and he was slicing at them, knocking some off their course so that they lodged into the carpeting rather than into his shell or exposed flesh. Don dove forward and skidded on his shell next to Raph and Payton, narrowly missing one that was aimed, presumably, at him.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!" Joey hissed, from the ground, at Leo who was still on his feet. "Get down before they kill you!"

"No." His eyes narrowed only briefly as his attention was split between the spears and Joey's yelling. "If they want a fight - then a fight they'll get." He growled, clearly energized some by the challenge but also in defense mode as the last thing Leo would ever be all right with was the injury to his brothers. He was meant to protect them and if someone was after any of them - Raph in this case - he would be more than willing to be hurt, captured or killed in his place.

"This is definitely a dream and the occupants are retarded." Joey snapped, but scrambled to her feet. She caught Leo's wrist, tugging at it as he swung still, expertly, with the free hand. "Do you have a death wish? Wish granted!"

"I won't run." He gave a hearty shake of his arm that forced her off from the wrist she was holding; he was clearly stronger than her as she couldn't quite keep a strong grip on his muscle. She stumbled back and bore her teeth at him, growling a little in her annoyance. Leo's hand closed tighter around the grip of his katana, ignoring Joey and her irritation. He lunged back, readying his attack stance, as he anticipated more to come from the window. From behind him, he heard pounding at the door as it was rattled against its frame. Leo was hardly frightened by it - at least, if he was, it didn't show outwardly.

"You don't know what you're doing!" Joey barked at him, frustrated and angry with his obstinate bravery. Her eyes flicked from the ground at his feet, to the oddly quiet window and back to the turtle himself. His head snapped over to her, her annoyance finally reflected in him.

"Then tell me what I need to do so I can properly fight them." Her nostrils flared and a dangerous smile flicked across his face in response - he was ready to fight whatever would come through at them.

"Go for the head." She made a gesture to her neck, with a slicing motion. "Lop that sucker right off, or fire. That's it. Staking is a load of crap and holy water is a joke. And they'll invite themselves right in if they feel like it." As she was speaking, Leo absorbing her instruction as he finally had real answers, Ash took action. He had crawled to the base of the window as low as he could, though it was clear he was trying not to be shredded open by the bits of glass littering the carpet. His fingers caught the curtain that was whipping freely around with the window. In a second, the chiffon fabric was aflame, Ash having flicked a lighter out of his pocket. A sudden blast of heat shot through the room, along with a vibrant orange glow, when the curtain raced into hearty flames. The strength of the fire grew rapidly as it licked the walls and the whole window frame.

"ASH!" Payton barked over the crackling sound. Mikey had, in turn, scrambled to Don and was helping pull him away from the window as it was clearly, in his mumbled panic, he did _not_enjoy the fact that there was fire at all. In fact, it surprised them all as even Leo started, stunned by the intensity ablaze and how quickly the apartment was going up in flames.

"They won't get in now." He defended.

"YEAH! But we won't get out either! You're a maniac." Joey had taken a step forward, ducking too as the smoke detectors started to wail throughout the entire place. It was certainly going to make their escape much less subtle than had been planned as soon there were going to be service men, firefighters, swarming a place they ought not to be.

"Yes we will." She heard Leo say, almost calmly. There was no room for question or option as he was definitive in his words. And the others, at least his four brothers and Casey, made no indication to stop him. In fact, if Leo had a way out, they would follow him every step of the way without a single bit of doubt, not then. Not even Raph could question as, in that moment, there was a certain amount of blind trust for Leo as their leader. His eyes were settled on the window frame and clear determination in his posture. "I won't let my family die here tonight."

"You're as cracked out as he is." She told Leo plainly.

* * *

><p><em>Leo was serious and he was determined - but that's Leo. You get used to it after awhile, even Joey learned to tolerate his noble behavior. Everyone does with time. It's just in the beginning, it's so...overwhelming. Anyways, I knew he was serious and that meant we all better buckled down because whether we wanted to or not, Leo was getting us the hell out of there. As much as I appreciate that, I sometimes don't like his methods. I dig the offer, I certainly didn't have many other ideas. But he and Raph can be more alike than either of them like to admit. I saw it that night...<em>


	5. All This Heartache Has Only Just Begun

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>Chapter Four:  
><span>All This Heartache Has Only Just Begun <span>

_I didn't see my first one that night, but I have seen one - they are real, Ash was right. Leo was too determined to get us out of there though, so there wasn't too much time to linger. It wasn't the first time we've had to get out of a burning building. It's sort of like that time in April's shop. I just didn't know how it would happen this time..._

* * *

><p>"JOEY! Can't you get us out of here!" Payton howled over the crackling fire as he was trying to gather up the few things he could to save from the flames. Casey saw, from the corner of his eye, Payton slip a picture from a frame and fold it up before stuffing it into his pocket.<p>

"ME?" She barked back. "No, it's like Ash opened up the sun on this place. I don't have a God damn escape route up my sleeve." She rounded on Leo, groaning pointedly. "You said you weren't going to let your family die - what way did you plan on getting them out and how did you intend on going about doing that?" She snapped at Leo, almost as if frustrated by his chivalry without action. By that point, the fire had actually shot out across the wall and was staring to spread across the floor, eating away at the carpet fibers as if they were a series of tiny wicks to be burned brilliant orange. In the distance, emergency vehicles could be heard stopping traffic to help save them from fiery, burning death. Leo didn't answer her in words - almost as if he didn't even hear her speak. Instead, he set to motion.

He had been scanning the apartment the entire time, as if there were no fire what so ever. He was calm, serene - so much so that the flickering shadows of the flames dancing across his face contrasted against his unconcerned eyes. That alone made Joey uneasy, for a reason Leo didn't have time to question just then. But he could tell she was anxious, even more so as he watched her face for a brief second while she watched his. He, however, didn't let his curiosity get the best of him - lingering on it would serve no purpose and right then, he was focused on a very well defined goal. Get them to safety.

It was clear he was looking for something specific and soon, he spotted what he needed. Just off on the table which sat next to the window was a wound up spool of clothes line that was often used on the balconies of many New York apartments, Ash's included, to hang and dry clothes after being washed. He had assumed, at least hoped they were lucky enough, that Ash had that same habit. Leo moved across the floor, expertly darting away from the weaker spots in the ground. He let his feet barely touch the carpet as to test it before letting his foot falls progress, worried for the hot spots where the fire was catching up. When he seized the spool, he carefully unwound it. Despite their thickness, his fingers moved nimbly to securely a knot in the heavy duty twine to the hit of his katana, connecting the two. He then moved closer to the window with the same tactic as before, despite the roaring heat that hit against his thick skin. The heartiness worked in his favor as it kept his body from being entirely burned by the heat alone. He reeled back and chucked his sword with all his might through the middle of the open, broken window and watched it soar across the way to the adjacent building's fire escape. It lodged in there tight and unmoving as he tugged some at the twine. When Leo pulled it back, eliminating any slack in the chord, it came back horizontal, opposite the vertical bars, and allowed for a secure, unwavering line.

He darted back, tying the end of the chord to one of the Screamers lodged in the wall that was least damaged. They were working against a very loud, ticking clock and Leo knew it, enough that he worked with speed and accuracy as they couldn't afford any errors right then. He hurried over to Mikey and jerked him to his feet first, "Come on." He instructed and waved Payton to his feet as well, the doctor obliging hastily. "Use your belt. Take the doctor with you." He helped Payton climb onto Mikey's shell as he guided Mikey's belt over the line so they could zip down it, across the way. "Way to go with the ideas there, bro! 'Course it wouldn't matter so much if Don quit playing around and got us those jet packs he promised. Hang on, Doc! It's gonna be a hot one - HA!" Mikey cheered as he took Leo's instruction and pushed off, Payton holding very tight to the curves inward of his shell.

Raph, however, was already on it when Leo rounded on him next to go. "I got it!" He snapped, having deciphered what Leo's plan was and determined to do it on his own despite Leo's need to lead them. Raph climbed to his feet, very clearly hiding the fact that it hurt to do so as he didn't wince or complain in the least bit...but he was slower moving than usual. When Leo moved to help him, he gruffly snapped at him, a scowl passing his face. "I ain't that helpless." Raph moved with more determination too, as if to prove that he didn't need Leo's help right then. "Come on, princess." Raph smirked at Ash, exacting his revenge in words for now, before catching his wrist and pulling it over his shoulder so the lanky man could climb on. There was no room for argument, though Ash had visibly winced at the fact that Raph touched him at all before he too climbed up like Payton had. "You start yapping in my ear, and I'll drop you." Raph warned Ash of his snarky mouth while he too looped his belt over the line and prepared to push off and follow behind Mikey, all the while carrying the man on his back.

"Good. Go." Leo told his brother just as Raph, though weak and not at all in need of this right now, moved into action. The leader looked back, fully certain that Raph would follow instruction and get Ash to safety too, to where Don was just kneeling next to Casey. The tech savvy turtle already had his belt in his hand. "Come on Case." Don said, pulling Casey to his feet too. Casey abided by the request, though he looked baffled for a moment between Don and Leo. "You mean I gotta be carried like some damsel? I'm no girl, Leo." Casey argued though he jumped when the fire made a particularly loud cracking as part of the floor had already begun to cave inward, falling down to the apartment below them. "Okay! All right, you convinced me." He scrambled to get onto Don's shell, gripping tight to the grooves as best he could. Don shook his head before he too leapt to action, his belt arched around the twine and he held tight to it with both hands at either end. He had just pushed off when Leo noticed what was happening - the wall that the Screamer was lodged into had finally caught fire too, as had the beginning of the rope. "DONNIE!" He shouted for him, racing forward to stop Don but it was too late - he had already kicked off just as the flame was rapidly licking at the rope, like a wick to a candle, and ignited it in flames enough to eat through the material in an instant.

Donnie had barely made it through the window before both he and Casey fell from sight, the rope having shredded and the taut line cut away. "DONNIE, NO!" Leo darted forward, less careful with his movements and where he placed his feet and more concerned with the fact that Donnie had fallen off the side of the building. He lashed out to catch the end of the burning rope but it slipped through his grasp and went racing across the carpet out the window with his free falling brother.

Don's heart had stopped the second his belt slipped from the line and therefore had nothing to hook onto. It was with Casey scrambling to keep hold of his shell, in his panic, on top of his own momentary lapse of shock and fear, that Donnie had to think quickly; quite literally in nanoseconds for how fast they were falling. He pulled his bo staff out from where it was wedged between his shell and Casey. He, in an instant, jutted out the shaft to catch between the bars of the fire escape on the side of the building. They had fallen several floors down but Donnie caught them there, holding tight as the pressure on the bow staff was intense, despite how it was made to withstand abuse. He used it as leverage to pull them up onto the landing of the escape, throwing his plastron down on the surface while he wiggled forward. He was panting hard, his muscles quivering from the strain he had put on them. Having to suddenly support so much weight, and keep it off the staff so it wouldn't snap, was enough to knock the wind out of him.

But Don's mind went to Leo and Joey, still trapped high above in the flaming apartment. He leaned over the edge, having shaken Casey already from his back as the man was clutching to the railing to keep from being hit by raining embers. "LEO!" Donnie shouted up, waiting a beat before he saw Leo's head peek out for the shortest second. "You have to jump! NOW!" Donnie called to him, as loud as he could over the roaring fire. At this point, it wasn't about not being seen anymore - it was about saving their lives.

Leo heard Don's words but he was already a few steps ahead, having grabbed Joey swiftly around her waist. "Either close your eyes and hold on or you'll be barbecue," he instructed as he didn't wait for her response - there wasn't much time to consider whatever comment the snarky girl might make. Instead, he jumped from the window with most of his logic gone and riding solely on hope and instinct. In fact, Leo was bold enough, and confident enough, that he could muddle his way through this, he could beat falling, he could catch them against something to keep them from splatting on the concrete. But what he couldn't beat was fire - he wasn't completely immortal to such uncontrollable elements. They were falling and falling fast - it was Don's voice, as he shouted for Leo again, that gave him some guide. He caught the bo staff just as Don had used to pull them up, but the second the weight of his body and Joey's sank against the staff at just quick, downward speed, the staff snapped clean into two pieces. A momentary rush of panic shot through Leo, making everything move very slow as he felt them slip away from the escape. Mere seconds had the chance to pass before he felt Donnie's hands close around both of his wrists and he was being tugged upwards. Casey had even scrambled to help, grabbing onto Joey's arms to lift both of them up and away from the abyss below.

Donnie and Casey both fell backwards once Leo and Joey were over the edge, the four of them sprawled out in heavy pants and coughing. It was Casey that spoke up first, as sirens grew closer and closer to the apartment building. "Uhhhh guys...now what!" He begged, peering over the edge at where fire trucks were coming down the corner.

"We run." Joey answered, calmly though her actions were anything but as she jumped to her feet and took off down the escape, following the stairs down to each landing. With her went Donnie and Leo, the latter of which had jerked Casey with them. However, Leo paused a moment later, turning back to peer up at where his katana had gracefully been thrown and acted as their initial escape route at the building across the way - several stories up. The landing was empty now, even of his prized weapon. He wasn't sure where they'd gone to, but he glad to see it barren as that meant they too were out of harms way. Harm that, in this case, came in the form of flashing red and white lights accompanied by high pitched sirens. "Leo! Come on." Don barked from several stories below where he was gathered with Joey and Casey at his side. The one in the blue bandana crested the edge of the fire escape and jumped down to meet them at the ground level with a soft spin in the air and graceful dismount, landing light on his feet as if he were nothing more than a feather fluttering to safety.

"Show off." Casey smirked.

* * *

><p><em>And that was how we got separated, which wasn't a good thing when Raph and Mikey were left without Don or Leo to temper one of them. It was an atomic bomb in the making, thats for sure.<em>

_ But I'll get back to them later..._

* * *

><p>"No way am I going in there." Was the first thing Joey said when Don pulled back the sewer lid with expert hands. Casey was already climbing down the rungs and Don was waiting for her to take the first step on the ladder as neither he nor Leo were going to go before them. It was clear, from the sigh that escaped Donnie's lips, that he was growing impatient as they didn't have much time - the fire crew could come around to use the escape to help fight the fire any second.<p>

"You aren't alarmed by the suggestion that vampires might exist. Instead, you expect us to believe it. You haven't screamed about the four mutant turtles, not to mention fire and blood soaked handkerchief, yet you won't climb down into the sewer!" Don was trying to be rational as it was in his person to see the logic, and use it to his advantage, to overcome something as intangible and unexplainable as emotion.

"Alligators live in the sewers - are you mad!"

"Vampires." Don reiterated in sheer disbelief that he would even be saying it as a valid argument against her irrational fear.

"Have you ever seen the maw on an alligator?" She bore her teeth as she did so and pointed at them. She then tapped lightly with her fingernail on the front tooth. "Yeah, vampires only have four you have to worry about. Not a whole damn row of those pearly whites." She explained and Donatello looked over at his brother helplessly as their time was getting cut short and he was clearly losing this battle. Leo shook his head slightly, prepared entirely to take up his brother's cause and get Joey into the sewer. "I'm sorry, but we don't have time for this." He told her and immediately scooped her up by the waist, hoisting her over his shoulder as if she were weightless to him. And for Leo, she really was. Leo knew they needed her, if Raph really was in danger and she was their key to saving him, and Casey for that matter, she had to go with them. After all, she still had the ascot tie with the symbols on it stashed away somewhere on her person.

* * *

><p><em>Now Joey is a tiny thing, but feisty when she wants to be. She didn't go quietly and I don't think I've see Leo kicked in the face so many times as he was right then. <em>

_It was kind of funny. _

_He was just trying to be nice but damn, that little broad was sure putting up a fight. She must really hate alligators. I think it made Don wonder if she hated turtles too what with the whole reptile thing. All I can say is I'm glad I wasn't carrying her. And it's a good thing I wasn't because I wouldn't have been at the bottom to catch her when she actually squirmed free..._

* * *

><p><strong><em>::Author's Note::<em>**  
>We started using Google docs for editing purposes and we are both always amused at working on the chapter together, simultaneously, as we just fix each other's work in the same sentence sometimes. It's uncanny. It's fun that Google docs 'Word' function allows for real time editing capabilities and therefore we can see each other actually changing parts of the story. But it just shows how freely we share our work with no fight, no problems. It's seamless. Days like this, we are reminded that it's nice to have a writing partner to trust so blindly.<p>

Now for story content. Things are getting heavier. We do promise answers soon. For now we just hope you're having fun on this wild ride. We certainly are. Thank you for reading. Any feed back you might have would be very much appreciated.


	6. I'm Living in Lack of the Blood

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>Chapter Five:  
><span>I'm Living in Lack of the Blood Sent From Your Heartbeat<span>

_Now if we were in a court room, the little chunk right here would be heresy. What with me not really being there and all. But whatever, I'll tell you what I heard about what came next. And it wasn't pretty either…I was sorta glad the line broke that night, we avoided this mess._

* * *

><p>"What do you mean it broke!" Mikey's voice cried over the crackling fire, piercing through the night. It was loud enough to be heard if someone looked for it; certainly loud enough to worry about. Raph immediately clamped a hand over Mikey's mouth, pushing him to kneel to the ground, out of site of the trucks that were starting to pull up. The line had brought them just before the roof, so that they could climb up and over to hide around the brick until they all came together. It was the red clad turtle that had watched the rope fall away and their brothers drop down to their deaths. He had, the second his eyes watched Donnie fall, jumped to ledge and looked for a way to get to them; fast. Raph would leap from the roof if necessary, but he saw Donnie had caught them on the escape and Leo followed. It was only when he knew that they were safe that he mentioned anything to Mikey, though it didn't stop him from crying out at the first sign of trouble.<p>

"Shhh! Are you that crazy, Mikey! They're gonna hear ya, that's the last thing we need. A bunch of brown-nosing cops on us. They're fine, okay. They're just not getting' over here any time soon. Would you quit it?" He hissed at Mikey who, with wide eyes, nodded a little in agreement. Mikey wasn't weak in the least; he handle his own in a tough situation. It was the fact that his brothers were gone, they were split up in that moment, that scared him to no end. Enough that he was looking blindly to Raph for help. Raph, who wanted this nightmare to just end; catching that robber right now seemed pretty useless considering their punishment. Raph figured they were always being punished for something they didn't know was wrong; in fact, half the time it felt like they were being scolded for things that were right.

"We need to stay away from the edge, at least until this settles down." Ash urged them. He was clearly uncomfortable by the grittiness of the roof top, rarely seen by maintenance staff. "We can't just walk off the roof now, they'll spot us…and well, you'll definitely raise questions we can't answer." He went to smoothing out his vest and the fronts of his pants relentlessly as his eyes settled on his apartment, the one he shared with Payton, that was now mostly a flaming hole in the wall.

"This is [i]your[/i] fault!" Raph growled at Ash. In an instant, the sound of metal scraping was heard as one of his weapons was pointed under Ash's chin. The taller, lean man took a small step back. It was clear where Raph was ready to fight with fists, Ash had other things in mind as he hardly was a fighter. Mikey, however, had taken the cue to stop Raph as the last thing that needed to happen was his attacking the man that had the answer. He was the only one there level headed enough to handle Raph, which was sort of an oddity in and of itself.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa there Raph, down boy...Remember the whole be quiet thing? Well fighting Ash isn't exactly going to keep us under the radar, is it?" Mikey reached up and pushed Raph's hand down, pushing him back just a little. Mikey wasn't sure if Raph was going to pounce on him or not, though the way he was staring at Ash still proved that he probably wasn't going to hurt Mikey. In fact, both Raph and Ash were watching each other cautiously. Despite Mikey's efforts to get him to withdraw his sai, Raph held it still in his hand, even if left against his side.

"Indeed it is. I hadn't thought far enough ahead to consider how quickly the building would actaully catch fire. It's old, prime for ignition. But the fact remains, without the fire, your brother and the rest of us would be dead because of him. He's blindly dangerous in his craving to fight that which he doesn't know. With these creatures, asking questions later is never a successful tactic. I wouldn't have had to do it if he would have just gotten down like Joey said." Ash explained simply, logically, and Raph seemed to simmer, as if agreeing with the man about Leo's demeanor. In fact, they almost seemed to bond for their agreement in Leo's folly.

As a result, Raph sheathed his sai once more and moved to follow Ash and Payton more towards the middle of the roof. Mikey, however, seemed to go in a different direction now that he was free of his brother's behavior and hold. He peeked over the edge, looking down to where flames were now licking up the side of the adjacent building, to find his brothers. "LEO!" He shouted over the edge, jumping up straight in his spot when he saw Leo, Donnie, Casey and Joey all racing down to the manhole cover. They might as well have been little bugs for how tiny they were some dozens of stories down. "LEO! DONNIE! Hey!" Mikey called out to them excitedly, glad he had found them - glad to see them alive as he couldn't trust Raph unless he actually witnessed it with his own eyes. Mikey wasn't sure if they could even hear him, in fact in his naivety he assumed they could, as a result he waved frantically to get their attention.

A second later, an onlooker below might have managed to catch a glimpse of orange and green as Mikey was jerked backwards by Raph's stronger hand. Fortunately for all of them no one was in the alley below, the other four had vanished below the street line. "I swear to God, Mikey! Come on!" Raph hissed, pulling him roughly with him in clear frustration and impatience.

"The sewer, bro! We gotta get down to the sewer, that's where Leo and Donnie went. We are bogusly high when we mean to be excellently low. You know, underground low, where it's safe. Everyone knows cops can't fit down the hole anyway, they eat too many of those donuts. Besides, they won't see us - we're ninjas. Its perfect." Mikey explained as he ducked down to them, kneeling where the other three were bent below the rooftop's ledge. "You dudes are gonna dig it down there - we got food and games and maybe if you ask nice, Don'll let you play with his hitchy-doo jiggers."

Mikey rounded on the two human brothers, excited to show them his home, but his face seemed to fall as did his shoulders when he caught sight of them. The exuberance that seemed to fill him prior to that moment was doused entirely, as if his best friend said he didn't want to spend the night as his place that weekend. Ash's color had completely drained from his face, stark white against the inky back drop of the night. Payton was holding him by the shoulder lightly, almost as if he was afraid Ash might bolt or fall over in his spot. "You're joking. This, it must be a joke with a punchline I've clearly missed. You don't really live in the sewers. Not...with the expectation that we - Payton and I - might go there."

"Oh and I'm the princess, huh? You got a better idea..." Raph chuckled, seemingly amused by Ash's discomfort and seemingly delicate nature. Ash, however, cut him off before he could mock more. It was clear, by Raph's face, that he had a full arsenal left.

"In fact, I do. One that includes much less dirt." Ash said plainly. It was clear, by his delayed response, that his thought processes had been gummed up. The possibility that he, the overly neat, to the point of obsessive, man would have to sink below the street line and enter the dark underbelly of the city was too overwhelming. Raph's eyes settled on Ash and it was as he actually watched him that he noticed he was shaking ever so slightly. It almost made Raph feel guilty for teasing, though he made no indication of taking those words back as he couldn't bring himself to find them in the first place. He felt bad, but expressing that empathy was hard for Raph as he didn't often show it properly. It usually just came out either awkwardly or aggressive when he meant neither. Payton whispered something to Ash, something that clearly seemed to calm him down as he nodded his head a few times.

"Well, it's fantastic to know where we'll need to look next.I hadn't thought of the sewers." The voice was sweet, overly so - sickly so - with a feminine airiness. Raph swung around and Mikey stepped up next to his brother, both on alert for the intruder. "My, my Ash, Payton - look at the new meat you've brought me. What good little Lionels you are." When her pale, perfect red lips peeled back, they revealed two extended canine teeth in her porcelain face. Oddly, they didn't look out of place. She was, as Raph had heard in half the stories, strikingly beautiful. In fact, the features of her face were meant to look so obviously perfect, she was ideal in her beauty. In those alluring qualities came that which brought in each and every victim. A game of cat and mouse was played with all the people she hunted; and it was clearly, with her silky voice, she was in the midst of a game they didn't realize they were playing. "I suppose it would be the pot calling the kettle black if I asked how...exactly you're here. Like something out of a fairy tale - tell me, if I kiss you, do you become a prince? Or is that only for your amphibian brethren? Because I very much enjoy royalty." She ran her tongue along her upper lip in a coy manner, teasing the plump succulent flesh.

"Finally! You're the one I got to thank for this?" Raph gestured to his shoulder and almost laughed at her, mocking and gruff. She was lean and looked fragile as she carefully paced her length of roof some yards away. All of her just seemed so delicate, incapable of causing much harm. Certainly not as much harm as Raph had experienced from the Screamer. "I thought you said they don't come in ones. Looks like we found the dumb one." Raph sounded cocky, even the Lionel brothers - who didn't fully know him - could tell. He was certain he, massive and thick in his muscles while protected by a shell, could surely destroy her, a thin and fragile looking woman. He was taunted by the smile she offered him, slim and sexy, as he was lured into the game she was playing. "This stand-off ain't gonna last long." Raph muttered and Mikey's nunchucks came out instantly, reading Raph's meaning.

He was ready to fight.

"NO!" Ash howled, but Raph had already shot forward. He had heard Joey before; he was arrogant enough to know it was the head he needed to go for. With that, Raph's sais cut the air in a quick succession of swipes before he even got to her. He was aiming for her pale flesh, just above her collar bone. He was up in the air, having moved quick and easily on his feet, in a flash. It didn't matter, however, how fast or strong he was, she was stronger - shockingly so. One moment he was in the air and the next, he was on his back before he even knew what had happened. His shell hit the roof top hard, making the vibrations sting throughout his entire body as the wind was literally knocked from his chest. Furthermore the small spider web cracks in his shell from where the Screamer had entered him stung. It hurt in a way Raph wasn't prepared for, certainly not from this woman, and that alone made him hesitant in his defense. Not only was she bizarrely strong, she was fast too as he didn't have much time to really think about how to buck her off of him.

Raph felt her teeth sink into the flesh of his bicep, cutting through the meat like a knife meant to slice through butter. She had bit into him before he could protest, or even see it coming. The sensation initially caused pain to shoot through the muscle her teeth ripped through. It was like nothing Raph had ever felt before. He had been hurt many times, suffered many horrendous wounds. But he often stuck it out as he was tough enough to bite his tongue and keep quiet. This, however, was different as his body quivered from the pain that spiked across the surface of his skin. It took a mere second, after the tidal wave of agony, before that sensation turned into something much less painful. In fact, it harbored on pleasurable for how much ecstasy replaced his discomfort. Nothing had ever hurt so bad before, but nothing had felt so good either. It was like he was floating on a cloud, a sudden high from the lowest low, as his entire body relaxed at her bite.

For a beat, Raph was helpless to her mouth. He was laying under the sweet rapture of her teeth boring into him, like an addict forgotten in an alley way. He stared up at the sky, forgetting for a moment all the sensations around him, as he focused solely on that of the calming rush. In fact, he would have remained that way forever, until he had no blood left in his body to give, had Mikey not jumped on her back. The boisterous turtle hooked his nunchucks around her neck, pulling tight and jerking her backwards. What Mikey didn't know, at least not yet, was that it did nothing to slow her down as the living dead hardly needed air to live. They played by rules all their own.

They rolled end over end. Mikey's shell smacked against the roof every time he was pressed down by the vampire. It sounded like a firecracker with every movement, their tussle intense. "Oh, I'm plenty hungry - there's time for you yet." She told Mikey as she came up on top, pinning him to the rooftop like a wild vixen. Her legs were straddled over his body as he struggled to get out from underneath her, wiggling and writhing. The vampire gave a flick of her neck, as the nunchucks hung uselessly there, and managed to toss them across the roof, far beyond Mikey's reach. With his hands now free she was able to pin him fully down, by his wrists. Her jaws snapped at him, toying with him like food to play with before eating. That was when it happened, when she stopped and lost all interest in Mikey.

"Let them go." It was Ash's voice that called her attention. The woman seemed curious about his words, but only in a humored way. Like a parent considering the words of a child, only to expect to dismiss them in the end for something so outlandish and silly.

"Oh Ash honey, why should I! I like this one...they're both so feisty. If he tastes as good as that one over there, I might just take them both with me." She snapped at Mikey again, her teeth chomping together with a sharp snap. Her strength was crushing his wrists as she bore down on him, pinning him hard against the roof. Mikey gave a whimper as pain accompanied her brutal treatment.

"I'll go with you." Ash offered, swallowing hard. His face had not regained color since Mikey's comment earlier, though it was hard to tell what was causing his paleness now. He had reached down and tugged at the sleeve of his shirt, still rolled up from when he had gathered the blood on the ascot. "I'll go with you, if you let them go. But only if they go free...that's the deal."

"ASH!" Payton hissed, but the lanky brother held up a hand to stop him from further protest.

The words seemed to work on the vampire; neither Raph nor Mikey could explain why, though there wasn't might time for discussion then. She looked back down at Mikey as if considering his worth when posed with this offer. "Sorry pretty, I'll be back for you though - someday. It's not everyday I get an offer like this. Once in a life time...even when a life time is forever." She stroked his cheek, almost lovingly though Mikey squirmed under her, doing his best to jerk his head to the side, away from her cold fingers. She climbed up off from him, letting him free. In an instant, Mikey had scrambled up to meet Raph just as Ash knelt next beside Raph too, helping him to his feet. The turtle shrugged Ash's help off, clearly offended by it.

"Don't be a moron. That's reserved for Mikey." Raph's pride was wounded, it was part of what kept him grounded as Mikey was attacked. Though it was only he who had felt the sweet, unabridged ecstasy he had experienced, it haunted him in the most violent of ways just then. It was enough that, for a second, he craved it again. He had sat in a sort of stupor, wishing that it was he in Mikey's spot as he wanted just a second longer of her bite. That thought disgusted and shamed him to no end; he wasn't meant to be that weak. The others might not know it, but he was certainly judging himself on that fact and taking it out on Ash as a byproduct. Because, to Raph, this was Ash's fault. As much as he knew it was more complicated than that, he wanted to blame Ash for this whole ordeal, and therefore blame him for the pleasure he had felt at the vampire's bite.

"You started it. I told you no. That meant stop." Ash offered Raph a lazy smirk in his deadpan voice, familiar of the snarky brother. For a second, Raph understood him, truly understood Ash's meaning. His words were hardly meant in the fashion they could have been taken in; instead, it was a silent plea for Raph to take over in leadership. He had sympathy for Ash's doings right then, his sacrifice, but it didn't show on his clearly annoyed face. Instead, he seemed even more angered by Ash's very existence. "Do what he says next time. If you get another chance." Ash warned, his elusive 'he' in regards to Payton, but it was in honesty.

"Ash, please..." Payton begged, but Ash glanced over his shoulder at his brother. He shook his head lightly and it was as if another moment of unspoken communication passed between them just by the way they looked at each other. It was uncanny to Raph as he had sat, many times before, with his eyes boring into Leo the same way. Despite their differences, he understood him in the moments it was necessary and he watched that too pass between the Lionel brothers. Payton took a small step back, offering no more fight on the matter.

The vampire woman had moved with her sly footwork, slipping an arm through the crook of Ash's and tugged him a little ways away from Raph. The red clad turtle watched them with keen eyes, his heart pounding wildly. "I've been waiting a long time for this..." She cooed, stroking Ash's arm where the tattoo ringed his wrist. It worried Raph more than anything as he had no clue what she had in store for Ash - but it clearly wasn't be good.

"You're not going to just let her take him!" Mikey protested to Payton, sitting up and wringing out his wrists as he scrambled to look back at Raph and Payton. "Ash-" Mikey started to say, whipping around, but he and the woman were already gone. It was, instead, just the three of them left on the lonely and quiet roof top; the only noise in the air was that of the fire forgotten down below and the wail of the emergency vehicles. "Whoa...what just happened? Was it a dream? Sort of felt like an nightmare..." Mikey shook his head, confused for a moment as he was confused that maybe, just maybe, this was a part of his unconscious sleep and he had imagined it all. He was sure he wasn't truly processing anything right then.

"Elisabeth Penn happened! And we let her do it. No no...I let him do it. DAMN IT!" Payton kicked the side wall and clenched his fist. It was explosive in a way that neither had seen before from the previously soft spoken, kind doctor. "You're not worth it. None of us are. I swear to God, If Ash dies because of this..."

"He's not going to die." Raph was staring where the woman had been a moment before, his hand lightly pressed over his bleeding arm. "We'll get him back."

* * *

><p><em>Now when Raph gets determined, he get determined. Like Leo. See how that works? Have I mentioned lately I'm not crazy. I guess it was sort of better that Ash wasn't there. I mean I'm pretty sure they couldn't have ever gotten him to go in the sewer - not even kicking and screaming. They would have had to sedate him.<em>

_Raph, he got a taste though, of something real dangerous and it wasn't even the half of what he could have become. One of the things that I had to learn was that they didn't want to kill - they tried not to in fact, but what they did instead was worse._

_Worse than death...imagine that..._


	7. We'll Never Know Which Way

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>Chapter Six:  
><span>We'll Never Know Which Way This Road is Going to Turn<span>

_It was sort of funny to watch Don and Joey. I really think, for a long time, he thought she hated them - I still can't decide if it was the alligator comment or not that really got to him. Don's got a soft ego sometimes. He ain't Raph, that's for sure._

_I thought Leo was going to wear a hole in the only ratty rug they had in the whole place from all his pacing. If I heard 'they should be back by now' one more time, I was going to loose my cool..._

* * *

><p>"They should be back by now." Leo's voice and concern was drowned out by Don and Joey, pouring over the bloody ascot. It was almost as if they had heard him enough times to ignore what he was saying all together. It, however, didn't stop Leo as he paced back and forth, his hands held behind him.<p>

"That's not what it says, are you even reading it?" She snapped at him as they were shoulder to shoulder, leaning over the table and looking at the blurry edged symbols. They were clearly overcrowding each other and both on edge for it. "There's a line here - yeah that's a line and this is a dash. Big difference, that centimeter of blood. Since when do you read old Clan anyhow?" It was as if an issued challenge as she grumbled to Donnie.

Don drew he head back and looked at her with a bemused expression. He wasn't used to having people in his way when he was trying to work. The others just let him go on and 'fix' it as they all expected that of him. He, in turn, didn't expect much from them beyond grabbing him a tool from time to time. If there was a singular thing they looked to him for it, was answers of a more logical nature - not that Leo, Raph or Mikey couldn't repair a stopped up toilet. "Well, it is difficult to tell with the nature of this writing. It's not exactly written in clear ink on paper." He said, as matter-of-factly as he could, trying not to sound offensive; though she was grating on his last nerve. Later, Don would figure that it was because he was on edge, not entirely because she was so bossy. But that was because Don saw the best in everything, when he could.

"Good call," she agreed in earnest, snatching the thing up as if she had a new idea. Donnie sighed heavily as the fabric was ripped from his hands and he stared at the surface of a bare wood table. "You were there. You saw it - why don't you tell us? Because that little hash mark could make all the difference. Like the symbol with it means life and without it means death - very different words if you ask me and all in one little hash. Soooo...lay it on me slick - you saw the Screamer? What'd it say?" Her expectant eyes were on Casey and he blinked in surprise, the rest of his face blank. It was clear, in that moment, he had no idea what to say as he hardly taken a glance at the symbols, let alone took the time to memorize them. All he could really remember was the stinging in his hand from where his blood had been taken to get it at all.

"They should be back by now." Leo's echo rang out.

"Hey! Blue, we heard you the first time. And the second and third time too. You're damaging my calm by doing that." Joey whipped around on him, the ascot forgotten in her hand. Don had wiggled some to reach and grab it, but Joey spoke with her hands as she went on. So he ended up reaching for thin air, his fingers clasping at nothing just beside Joey's hip. "Could you reel the worry back in just a tiny bit so the rest of us can get some work done? You know...something useful. Holding down the ground like that won't do anything as I'm pretty sure gravity's got it under control. Why don't you sit down before you pass out from all that exertion. Actually a nap wouldn't hurt; you're going to need it."

Leo had stopped to give her his full attention. Don could tell he wasn't pleased by the way his chest rose and fell in several quick breaths. If she were Raph they'd be in a fight by now as Leo didn't always censor himself for his brother. Instead, those were Leo's calming breaths. In fact, Leo already wasn't pleased with the scrawny woman for the fact that, once they'd actually gotten her in the lair, she offered him a lopsided smile and added in-passing honestly, 'Nice place'. He was still sore from how harshly and wildly she'd fought about being dragged into the sewers. Casey figured she'd done that before and probably gotten free, with the squirming and fighting. She'd even gotten free from Leo, which was a feat in and of itself.

He seemed to grow determined in his deep breaths, offering a curt and final nod. "You're right. I'm going to go look for them."

"Whoa, hot shot. Slow down there." Joey's face drew out a long 'o' on the end as all of her rough, teasing bite evaporated. She wheeled around in front of him so he'd have to run her over to go the direction he was headed. "Bad idea, boss." She held up both of her hands, placing them firmly on the front of his plastron. "That wasn't exactly what I meant by 'something useful'. I get that you're a fighter and you don't want to sit back until every single wrong in the world has been righted, but damn it, sometimes you have to. Just for a few minutes. Not every strategy has to be arranged on the fly. Particularly when its the kind that gets you killed. There are a lot of crazy things out there you aren't ready for, you don't know what you're jumping into. The water is a little colder than you think."

Leo's eyes narrowed on her and when he spoke, he was clearly frustrated with her and the words she said. "I've heard nearly a dozen times that we're not the strangest thing any of you has seen. That there's something stranger, something scarier...what does that mean, anyhow?" He asked her sharply. Joey couldn't tell if he was hurt, offended or just curious. But she could tell there was emotion that was bubbling under his shell in a way that she wasn't sure she was the proper one to deal with. She could see how it would be offensive, but that had not been any of their intention when they said it. Instead, it was a passing way of explaining that they weren't afraid - they could accept them as they were for their lack of fear. That message clearly hadn't really come across the way Joey and the brothers had meant it. To Leo, it was as if he and his brothers were the runner up in the life of weird for these people, losing out to some greater 'monster'. She could see how they would take it personally; almost as if they were being called freaks and openly so.

"Exactly that, you're not strange - to us at least." Joey told him, unwilling to back down as her hands stayed pressed against his front, keeping him rooted to his spot. Though she considered that comment a little further. "It's a compliment, I guess. We're all strange Leo - it is Leo, right?" She arched an eyebrow at him. "At least if we're part of this darker, seedier stuff; the darker you go, the stranger things get. So maybe you are strange, but only to the normal. And who said they were normal anyhow? Why can't we be the normal ones and they the strange?" She shrugged her shoulders some at her own question. "You have the privilege being graced with the less -" Joey never finished whatever train of thought she was on as the door opened and Raph stomped in, followed by Mikey and Payton. Raph's hand was still pressed to his upper arm, his face sour in expression. The others all looked and they all waited, until they realized that only three would return despite having been separated from four...

"What happened?" Joey bustled forward, letting go of Leo's plastron. She had spotted the blood, as it trailed little rivers of red down Raph's green skin, oozing through his fingers. He batted her away in an instant but she was unwilling to yield that easily. She went back to trying to peel his fingers back, her slimmer ones tugging at his plump digits. "Payton." She chastised him, though Mikey seemed put off for a moment by the tone of her voice. As if she was scolding him too. "You just let him walk around with an open wound? What the hell's wrong with you? You're supposed to be a doctor...where's Ash?" She looked back at the entry way as if that would magically cause him to appear.

"Knock it off!" Raph growled at Joey, who had - after every time he smacked her away - gone right back to his fingers with the intention to pull them back.

"Were you bitten?" Raph could feel the thickness of her voice as it dawned on her what could have happened. Even if he was covering the entry wound, she seemed to understand where it was coming from.

"He ain't comin', alright? Stop asking already." Raph snapped at her and she was left unblinking for several long seconds. It was clear he was deflecting the question, unwilling to answer it as their eyes met. Raph held her gaze - not because he had nothing to hide, but because the stubborn parts of him couldn't give up first. He was afraid of answering and even the tiniest turn of his head would give him away. He was ashamed for what he had felt...he didn't need anymore from the feisty woman.

"Why?" She asked on the nearly entirely expressed breath she'd been holding. "What happened?" She demanded again, this time swinging around on Payton as Mikey was staring at his feet. He was like a child beyond scolded, and already punishing himself without mom or dad's yelling.

"Elisa." Was the only word that left Payton's lips and Joey's mouth fell open to it's full extent. It meant nothing to Leo, Don and Casey as none had actually witnessed the dangerous creature. The magnitude, however, was illustrated by Joey's reaction. Leo and Don couldn't help but be surprised by it, sharing looks with one another as if to be sure her shock was seen by them both. It was as if she'd been kicked in the gut and all the wind her little body would hold was forced out of her. Payton took Mikey's cue and looked away, as it would be easier in that moment than to see any of their faces.

"What does that mean?" Leo, who was only a few feet behind Joey, asked as the woman seemed to have lost her voice entirely. He voiced the question the other two had ringing in their heads. In that second, Joey came back to life, Leo's question having jarred her to animation. Her hands flew up in the air in exasperation, having completely ignored the turtle speaking to her.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?" She howled. "Payton, Ash was a doll! You just handed him back over to the queen bitch with bows and ribbons? Are you out of your damn mind!" She barked it so sharply it came out shrill, echoing some in the underground oasis that was the turtle's home. "He was _HER _doll! You signed his life away, you know that? He dies, its on your head!"

Raph and Mikey both had shrank back some, clearly guilty. Though Joey's words weren't directed at them, they had been there when Ash left. In fact, they were the reason he did. Raph couldn't help but feel responsible then, as he held his arm tighter, as it was he who Ash had saved from Elisa's kidnapping. Payton, however, seemed to be taking every word, at first, like a wounded dog - kicked too many times and certainly guilty for whatever crimes he brought to his master. The more she went on, the more he took in. "I KNOW! Joey I know it. I know what happened and I know what he did. What I did. I know she agreed. He did it for them; she wanted them. None of this would have happened if they hadn't been there."

"JESUS CHRIST!" Joey threw her hands up in the air again, making Mikey jump some in his spot. "You better not die." She pointed a harsh finger in Raph's plastron, though Raph made no move to stop her. He merely glared downward, taking her words in much differently than Payton. He didn't seem like the kicked dog, though he was underneath his sturdy shell. Instead, he seemed just more and more frustrated by her words. That, however, was hiding a much deeper set guilt that only grew in size, like a massive tumor. "If Ash gave his freedom for you - both of you - you better make something useful out of yourselves. I'm positive that was what was going through his head when gave up for you. You got a lot more to live for, I've heard him say that shit before about everyone else.

"None of this would have happened if you had stopped her from killing Mia to begin with. Now it's going to become a game of politics, I can guarantee it." She told Payton pointedly, turning the blame back on him - and drawing the heat off from Raph and Casey who'd stumbled on the incident to begin with and as a result lured the whole Hamato family into this mess. She was hot and not simmering in the least while Payton seemed to retreat in on himself, unable to rebuttal her final attack.

"Whoa hey...time out." Mikey said, trying to be gentle - at least as gentle as he possibly could. "Can somebody tell me what a doll is?" He smiled sheepishly between Payton and Joey, trying to ease them both. "And while you're at it - who's Mia? That would be good too. Oh and what will happen to Raph now that he's been bitten? Is he going to be one? What's a turtle-vampire look like anyway?" Mikey, in true Mikey spirit, tried to lighten the mood with jokes and teasing. Though the questions were actually legitimate as most remained unanswered up to that point. Don seemed concerned that Mikey was even entertaining the idea that it was real and Leo's eyes fell on the two strangers. Payton had taken a few steps back, retreating further - visibly from them. Joey was huffing and puffing furiously still. Leo finally took a few steps forward, closing the distance, and carefully placed his hands lightly on Joey's shoulders as if to guide her to serenity.

"You said to make myself useful, to strategize outside of the battle. Now's the time Joey. Yeah, it's Leo. Raph, Mikey and he's Don. Casey is the man with the mask over there." he offered patiently, as if it was a peaceful offer that might coax her to give more back. "Give us the tools to help come up with a plan then. This mystery and partial story is going to slow us down. If Ash gave himself up for my brothers, we can help you try and get him back - but only if you tell us what we need to know. Because for as much as you scold us about not knowing, you're all we have to remedy it." She seemed to be calming with each of his words, letting them wash over her.

"It's her name, I understand now. I'm surprised Ash didn't recognize it - on the tie." She finally spoke, her eyes actually moving to Don despite Leo's hold on her. The purple-clad turtle seemed interested, if not surprised, by her direction. At first, he didn't realize what she meant but he caught on quickly, considering what the symbol had looked like and why it was so hard to recall or match it to a text book. "She was claiming him...Raph was it?" She nodded to the red masked turtle. "At least in the beginning part of the message. It's why she attacked you...it felt good when she bit you, didn't it?"

When all eyes turned onto Raph, he stuttered. So many pairs of expecting eyes made his body quiver uncomfortably. A 'yes' response, the honest one, made him look like a doe-eyed sissy who had latched onto a vampire. Yet a 'no' made him into even more of a sissy because it mean that he had to admit to actual pain. There was a long silence and Raph hoped their attention would turn away from him in that time. "Yeah." He finally muttered, his eyes downcast. "Like getting a massage from a cactus." He followed up, hoping to save some of his dignity. One corner of Joey's mouth turned up in a crooked smile while the others seemed rather content with that answer. The brothers were used to Raph's gruffness and took it as it was - though it hid the truth underneath.

"No, they didn't exchange. No time." Payton added before Joey could ask it. Don's eyes had flickered between them in a silent question of 'exchange what?' but Joey had spoken before he could.

She turned to Leo. "You might want to sit. All of you. And you, for the love of all that is good, let the doctor look at your wound. Stop being a wuss, suck it up. Be a man and have the medical staff look at your gushing bite before it gets infected. And you, stop being a selfish bastard. Your brother might be acting as a martyr right now, but I'll be damned if I let him go out in true martyrdom fashion. There will be no death, you got that? I'm not in the business of letting people die, even when they piss me off." She sighed a little bit, as if trying to figure out where to start and how to make it the most simple she could. It was clear to Leo that this was going to be rough; something they had never experienced before, though it seemed to already push beyond that which they had thought existed.

For all the things they encountered, this was certainly not one they had ever anticipated.

"They don't kill often, only for sport and to show off - or to start a fight. Its a tool, not a necessity. I'm pretty sure, after what's happened, the death you saw tonight was the latter. Mia was a doll, but not just any doll. He belonged to the leader of one clan. Another clan, the one Elisa is kin to, has been planning his death for ages - see? Not just willy-nilly, they do this shit with purpose and reason. She's been trying to find a way to catch him. To start a war with Mia's owner. I use the term 'owner' loosely - I hardly believe people can be owned. Death comes at a price for these vampires; people notice when mommy or daddy just disappear and the cops can't explain their death. Even bums have a social security number. They can't risk exposing their existence, people would flee in terror or God knows what would happen. It would be a mess, a catastrophe. Better to kill in moderation, when its absolutely necessary - or has a point. Besides who the hell believes you if you tell them? They're going to think you're bat shit crazy.

"Anyway, instead, they take people to feed on regularly...sometimes. Some of them get their fill from animals or strays. Even from some passing 'suit' who took a wrong alley way, or thugs who wake up in the morning thinking they had a bender the night before and that's why they're all weak. And it's always a _really_good time because of the euphoria...case in point. It feels good to have that rush of blood through the veins, sucked up by their teeth." She gestured to Raph, who let out a puff of a breath.

Payton had taken to tending to his arm while Raph gave in, though he made a point not to acknowledge Payton's work. "People don't run when they get attacked. They take it because it feels good. Sometimes, it feels just as good for the vampire as it does its victim. They're predators, some with no will power to stop and therefore accidentally drain people to their death. That's when it becomes a problem - public attention is gathered as they either die or disappear entirely into vamperism. That is to say, if a vampire completely drains a person of their blood only to give it back to them after its cycled through its own body, it creates a new zealot. The birth of a vampire; but unlike the human race that procreates like a virus, vampire births are very carefully thought out and planned. Permission has to be granted by the reigning leaders and even then, it's complicated. Very few new vampires are born because, after all, if you add more wolves to the pack, what else will they do but fight? They're not just predators of humanity, but of themselves as well. Anyway, both raise questions and pisses off the leaders of that vampire's clan or even other clans for fear of exposing their 'culture'. Because the business of creating vampires is delicate too - too many, you have less control...it takes a lot of importance to the clan for them to change you. And if a vampire does it without permission - oh hell, I've heard of them being killed for it." She shrugged a little bit. "Now that's not to say they don't kill in general - they do, and they go for bums or runaways, the forgotten who remain forgotten. But those are usually sanctioned by the leaders too. The dolls however...blood dolls...they're something else altogether."

The silence in the room was telling - the four turtles were all perched in various spots. Mikey had his legs crossed and was watching Joey with bouts of rapt attention, words like 'killing' and 'blood' catching his attention long enough to string him along. Raph seemed mostly disgusted, though he hid his face as if he wasn't interested in the story when he actually was. Both Leo and Don were engrossed too, the former absorbing the words as a way to defeat them while the latter was merely taking it in to learn more. If it would save their lives, even better.

"They share some of theirs to their dolls, they give them blood, that is. Not enough to turn them, to sire them into new vampires. Just a few drops for the high of that person's life. It brings them back later, of their own volition, for the vampire to feed from them so they can be given their mystical drug. It makes them temporarily, and in a mild way, capable of the host vampire's abilities. But it's not about what they can do, it's about the high. They seek it in the worst way and will do anything, just about anything, to get it. They're a slave to their masters. Imagine crack if it had magical properties on top of it's already intense side effects; never mind the habit part." She snorted. "It also causes a sort of bond between the two - its as addictive for the vampire as it is the doll. They're very territorial about their 'property'; they mark their dolls for it. Some brand. Kenshin - Mia's host and head of his clan, brands with a small square shape along the jaw. Elisa, she magically inks her, normally around the wrist with her name in old Clan archaic language. Not unlike the stuff written into the Screamer. The relationship becomes symbiotic in a way, but creepier than that shit that happens in Utah on those cult farms. I can't really explain it...you have to see it. Its not something that can be put to words. It's similar though as the older and higher ranking vampires sometimes have dozens of dolls like some sick blood orgy."

There was a still silence in the room as the information sank in. "And Ash...he was one of these?" It was Don that spoke first as he was trying to reason it all. He needed the science of the addiction to make sense of it, while the others merely needed the meat of the story - the explanation at its base level - so that they could go out and fight it.

"Yeah." She said solemnly and Leo's eyes flickered over to Payton. The doctor had been quiet the whole time, methodically working on Raph's arm as he seemed to ignore all of Joey's words. In fact, he seemed disconnected all together. Leo couldn't imagine what it was like; he did everything to protect his brothers. Anything and everything. And in that moment, what he took from Joey's words was that Ash had been through something so horrific, beyond his control, that it turned him into nothing but a husk of who he was. An addict. If it were Raph or Mikey or Don, any of them, Leo was pretty sure it would haunt him the way the memory seemed to haunt the doctor.

"Some don't pick it. If they exchanged, as Elisa has her sights set on you, sir," she looked at Raph pointedly. "Your brother would be one right now. Ash didn't choose this path for himself. I don't know if you've noticed, he gets a little wiry at the idea of boogers, let alone blood. No, Ash didn't choose to be a doll." Her eyes scanned the floor for a moment, as if considering how to broach the deeper parts of the issue. Her eyes landed on Payton when she drew her face up. "The details don't matter. Not the how at least, just that he's in danger of being put in that position again. That's why she gave you up for him. She'll come for you, but when she's ready to put forth the effort. She's an opportunistic hunter and Ash was an easier - familiar - catch.

"And she sort of views Ash as the one that got away. Plus the leaders, they don't grab basic human dolls when they can avoid it. The 'normal' ones, as it were. They like the fancy ones. Like Raph here. He's special." She batted her eyes at him teasingly, though gained nothing more than a gruff grunt from the turtle. "Ash - he's special too. Therefore tastier and a status symbol of value for Elisa. She's always clawing and snapping her way to the top, or trying to for the last 500 some odd years. Dog-eat-dog, they say."

"How do we know where to find him?" Leo asked plainly - he had gleaned the information that seemed necessary. Their social tendencies, their customs and rules, were what mattered most. The 'what's were answered, now he just wanted to move to the 'how's and 'when's.

"Well that's why you have me. I sort of a pain in the ass for them, all of them. They hate me almost as much as they hate Patty here." She nodded to Payton and grinned at him. "How they came to hate the Lionel brothers is a little bit more complicated though. My thorn in their side is much easier. I steal their dolls and break them of their habit." She grinned wide enough, cocky, that her eyes narrowed a little. "I'm like public enemy number three for them. Followed up by tweedle dee and tweedle dumb here." She giggled, almost girlishly - it didn't suit her as she, for her tiny little frame, was shockingly boyish in her behaviors. "I fancy myself a liberator - a doll liberator. I've been doing this for a long time - how the hell do you think I met them? It wasn't because we hang out in the same cool kid spots. I'm sure you've noticed by now Dr. Pissy-Pants isn't much for the talking and Mr. Clean lacks in the rather obvious area of lightening up. No, I helped Payton spring Ash a few years ago. We can do it again. It won't be easy."

"Nothing we seem to do ever is." Leo commented casually, his eyes flickering to his brothers for approval from them. What he got from Don was an eager little nod while Raph gave a shrug of agreement.

"I'm IN!" Mikey squealed from the back of the couch where he'd gone to situate himself to listen to her tale with rapt attention. "Let's get this party started."

* * *

><p><em>I kinda wish he hadn't called it a party...because it was anything but.<em>

_Yeah, so that's when things got really bad. I mentioned this story went down hill right? Like from the first thing - the body - it just seemed like one thing after another and before I knew it we were smack dab in the middle of something Donnie couldn't even fathom. None of us, right then, asked what was so special about Ash that he could be considered better than Larry or Barry or Joe...but none of us didn't believe her. That little broad man...I wonder if she could spring me out of this joint what with her experience in snatching people out of places they don't want to be._

_I understood where all that kicking and screaming came from now. Battle cries are battle cries, hers might be different than mine but hey - I can appreciate that. She sure was a fighter._

_Normally the guys like a girl in the lair, even if she's just on TV. They get all cocky and showy, sometimes around April too, but - and it might have been the situation - they didn't seem to notice she was a girl. Not that I could tell at least..._

* * *

><p><strong><em>::Author's Note::<br>_**_Please forgive the length of this chapter. We had not intended on it being this long. There was a lot of information in this particular segment. We hope it wasn't too much. We must also admit that this chapter terrifies us. It's the part where the majority of the substance is exposed, and we feel quite exposed. We do hope that it hasn't turned you away. Together we are just grateful that you've made it this far. We would really enjoy any feedback you might have. Again, thank you for making it this far. We promise, if nothing else, a wild adventure for the remainder of this little story._


	8. Agony and Irony

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>Chapter Seven:  
><span>Agony and Irony<span>

_We waited - we had to. We couldn't go anywhere or do anything without their direction, and neither of them were talking right then. They insisted that we needed sleep first. I could tell that wasn't happening; Raph was irritated and Leo paced for a long time. Mike went off to nap and didn't come back while Don managed snatching the ascot to look it over some more. I got in a few Z's of my own, but mostly sat there, watching...waiting._

_I was really worried about Raph...he still had that wound he was ignoring..._

* * *

><p>The following night, they were all standing in the heart of downtown Manhattan. It was glitz and glamour in some parts where others were buried in the seedy alleyways. The sun had long since sunken behind the New York Skyline, casting a dark shadow along the city. With the inky night came more danger and mystery as anything could hide in the darkness. The four turtles were huddled up in their 'street clothes' to tag along in public, as Joey insisted that they go in through the front door this time. It wasn't about a covert operation, with the intention to attack first. There was no way Ash would be left unattended like the other dolls so they would have to negotiate instead. They needed to go in civil - it was the leaving the same way part that was in question.<p>

"How exactly do you plan on doin' that?" Raph had asked as he tugged a large sweater over his head, struggling to get it over the girth of his skull. Joey seemed to get a kick out of the fact that it was a turtle neck. When he finally got her to stop laughing, she answered, "I don't know yet. I'm going to wing it and hope for the best." But a few snickers fluttered out of her mouth after she's said it and Raph scowled full fledged daggers at her.

None of them were comfortable in the human clothes they had to wear. Leo explained to Payton, as he seemed the most concerned by their discomfort, that they were a hazard. If it meant, however, they could help retrieve Ash, they would gladly do it. "Oh come on Payton, you know you want to run around naked all the time too. You're just jealous they get to." Joey waved a hand at him. He made no comment, but a fierce pink blush raced across Payton's cheeks. "See how easy and how much fun that is?" She elbowed Mikey in, what was supposed to be the ribs, but it ended up being the edge of his plastron, which made her wrinkle her nose and say she hit her funny bone.

"You're staying, Red." Joey waved a hand at Raph as she moved on. "You too, Payton and Casey."

"Hey!" Raph barked, stepping forward to cut Joey off from walking any further. "Cupcake, you might know a lot about these monsters, but you need me in there. And don't call me Red. It's Raphael." He growled, clearly picking up on all the offenses he could to retaliate.

Joey turned back on him with a look of humored disdain. "You stop calling me Cupcake and I stop calling you Red. You first. And, this is a strategy, if we're not out in twenty minutes, you come in. You know...a Plan B. The so-called Calvary. But the last thing I need is you distracting the queen bitch what with her craving for you while I try and negotiate, you know - like a diplomat? - the release of Ash. If it turns into a fight, we'll call. Until then, you stay here."

"Joey..." Payton started to protest, but she cut him off too.

"This isn't a negotiation! You're just as much of a risk as him. She expects you, they all will be expecting you by now. Besides," she lowered her voice just for Payton to hear as the turtles were out of earshot, "Raph's not ready to go in there first if things should go south. That shoulder...good thing he's a turtle eh? Could'a been a lot worse." She smiled up at the man and he frowned even more heavily, clearly less amused than Joey was. "Give him a shot, would ya? Just in case...? Something to make it so he can move more like he's used to. To make him useful."

"Ten minutes." Payton told her and glanced over at Raph but was fumbling with the pockets of his coat. He pulled out a tiny vial with a liquid inside that looked like silver which was the consistency of water. She smiled softly. "When it gets closer to the ten minute mark I will."

"Where is it?" Don asked, scanning the buildings. He was looking for a sign, something obvious or not so, that might point the way. It was unlikely that a 'vampires live here' sign would be posted, but Don figured that would be the irony that seemed to travel with them thus far. There was a closed bakery down the way, a few random stores and a row of bars, clubs and restaurants that seemed to be catering to the night owls who might be lonely or bored. Nothing, Donnie noted, that had any indication to blood-thirsty monsters behind their doors.

"The best places to hide are right in plain view." She patted his shoulder and turned to the building they were standing right in front of.

"You have got to be kidding." Leo's voice was the first to hit the air as he looked up the state of the art, glass facade building. It was supposed to be, at ground level, the most sought after club in all of New York. And it most definitely was, though not for the reasons all of the city knew. No one just walked in there without an invitation of very important people and the bouncers outside were dressed in the grab of CIA agents, blocking the door. Mikey had watched them shoo away at least a dozen pretty girls in mini skirts and glittery heels higher than the shiny bricks they looked like.

"I'll go first." Joey didn't confirm that it was the place, but instead that they were going in there. Leo watched her in shock. The scrawny, little dark haired girl in clothes that appeared to have come straight from a 1980's John Hughes Film, not nearly appropriate for a high class New York club, headed straight forward. He moved to follow, automatically, just as Don and Mikey moved in her direction as well, when he felt something catch the elbow of his jacket. Leo whipped around, ready to attack with his hidden katanas, but cautious enough to refrain. Which was good as it was Payton.

"Naoyuki." He whispered to Leo, clearly meant only for the turtle to hear. "He may be in there. She's more of a risk too than she is willing to admit. If he is, Joey might fumble. Keep an eye on her. If she seems hesitant at all, even for a second, get out of there. Please Leo." Payton didn't have time to say anything further as holding Leo back would cause suspicion, so he gave the turtle a quick push after the others. Leo took the words and, though he had questions - such as how to identify this person, gathered what he needed from Payton's words. Should the little woman, leading them now, give any indication that she was not acting as normal, it would be his cue to remove them from the situation. The person didn't matter so much as keeping an eye on their diplomat.

When he made it to the others, Don's eyes had looked expectantly to him though Leo did his best to shrug off his delay. He watched Joey look up to the bouncers. The two men were massive, both horizontally and vertically, and Joey's already tiny frame looked dwarfed next to them. In fact, Leo was pretty sure she was shorter than Mikey who was standing right next to her. "I'm here to see Elisa." The first one laughed and the second bent down, amused too at Joey's request. "Run along and play with your dolls little girl. You're a long way from home."

"Oh, sure, I will as soon as I get him back - you know, Ashton Lionel. I'll do all sorts of terrible things to that doll once I have him." She offered a half cocked smile and a narrow eyed taunting glare. "Tell her Joey Hoxie's here to see her." Both seemed to consider her as their eyes swept to one another. Then, one leaned forward to get closer to her. It almost seemed like he was going to say something to Joey, but instead his tongue darted unceremoniously from his mouth. Mikey stared, wide eyed and a little frightened, as the bouncer ran his tongue from her chin all the way up her cheek to her temple, with his mouth spread open wide enough that two pointed teeth peeked out from the corners of his mouth. There was a stifled 'eep' in Mikey's throat, simply as he hadn't anticipated to already see vampires. Leo made to step forward and intervene, ready to attack this man he thought was going to hurt Joey, but Don caught him by the arm. The only one who seemed curious about it, but certainly not in a position to ask the whys and whats, was Don. There had to be more to what the obvious vampire was doing - a purpose - though Don was in no position to question Joey about it."I could have just shown you my ID." She grimaced and wiped her cheek with her sleeve, a look of sheer disgust on her face.

"You can go." He waved her forward, but the other had held up a hand to stop the three behind her. "Not them. Just you."

"Oh no, you don't understand, I'm not going with out them."

Leo wasn't sure how it worked, but with a few more back and forth banters, they were let in. It was mostly a result of the fact that the two vampires didn't want to make Elisa mad by denying this visitor. If it meant letting in the other strangers, that would be worth it to save them from Elisa's wrath. They were all led through a narrow hall that was flooded with bright, white flashing strobes. The hall it self was made from reflective metallic siding, which made the flickering lights dance all that much more. It affected their vision, making it difficult for them to know which direction they should be moving. It was an epileptic's worst nightmare.

Leo could hear the music's bass already and he saw Mikey sort of bounce to it's beat as if it was automatic to follow the groove of any sound. It offered him some measure of comfort, but at the same time, Leo wanted to lash out and tell him to knock it off and focus. He was sure they would need it. He was trying to be centered, and hold onto it for their sake as their lack of experience could be their undoing. When they came to the end of the hall, he felt Joey's hand brush his. Before he could look at her, the doors had swung open and she hissed in his ear, "Don't look up." His head swung to look at her and his eyes met hers from behind the sunglasses that he was wearing to further hide his face. The ominous statement was enough to spook him, though it didn't show on his face. "Do. Not. Look. Up." She said to him, more firmly, but this one was directed at his brothers too, standing just past him.

When the doors opened, they were hit with heat, lots of heat. It was as if all the bodies on the dance floor, writhing together to the strobes and music, were generating it. They couldn't be though, as each body on the floor, dozens of them crammed in there, had no body heat to actually give off. There was a particular smell that stuck to the backs of their throats and soaked into the canals of their noses. It was horrible and Don thought his last meal might spill out onto the floor in front of him. However, that was when Joey's words wafted to his ears and, as if on instinct, he did exactly what she said not to. There was a 'why' on his tongue, but it caught in his throat, almost with his bile, as he realized where - at least - some of the heat was coming from. And certainly the smell too. He stumbled backward, right into Leo. The leader had not looked up and therefore was able to give Don a small push forward. Fortunately for them, Mikey had not heard her and was waiting for them to proceed.

"Don...keep moving...you have to keep moving." Joey's voice was soft, yet sharp with the intent to make sure he didn't make a second foul that could cost them their lives. She couldn't bring herself to look up, particularly knowing what was there, but she still moved to help ease him to function again despite what he'd witnessed. Her arm looped through his immediately and she pulled him forward. "They're predators, they will sense your fear. We're going to draw enough attention." Her voice was sympathetic, gentle, and coaxing. "Unless you want to be up there too, you'll keep moving."

Don's eyes were still lingering up just as a drop of blood fell from above and landed on the lens of his sunglasses. He blinked hard, willing it to go away but it remained there, a black mark on the surface of his lens. He couldn't hear a thing she said over the ringing in his ears and the blood pumping fearfully against the drums deep in his ear canals. It was as if the entire world did not matter to him in lieu of the grotesque sight he saw. There was music loud enough make the floor vibrate against the soles of his shoes and he barely made it out of the narrow entry way into the larger main room floor. If it weren't for Joey, he might have stood there stunned for the rest of the night. He, like Leo, had always expected that this was just a club. But what he saw above was hardly anything of that sort. The horrid, sticky copper smell hung in the air. His shoe even slipped against the slick floor that was coated in a thin sheen of crimson blood.

Humans, alive, were pinned to the ceiling some twenty feet above their heads. They were sliced open and lanced in strange places, acting as slow dripping blood showers for the club goers on the floor. Every drop that fell teased the creatures below, only fueling their euphoric rave. Many of the bodies had strange, ancient iron devices jammed through limbs and elsewhere in order to perforate their flesh and make them bleed out slowly. However, it was the way they hung from above by hooks pressed through them as if they were worms dangling from the ceiling that was most disturbing to Donnie. If they were moaning in pain, it wasn't audible over the dance music. Some of their mouths moved like beached fish in big O shaped gestures, regardless of whether or not Don could hear anything.

Mikey, on the other hand, was transfixed on a series of complex fountains that ran the length of the wall and wrapped around the whole building. There were several of them that all linked, and all of varying sizes, in which they were surrounded by large numbers of beings; the night creatures. The fountains did not blossom waves of water or chocolate; instead, red blood circulated through the various tubes and pipes, splashing bits of blood onto the floor and certainly allowing the vampires to dip their hands and faces in to indulge in their hedonist pleasures.

"They can smell fear, and taste the living in the same room. The only thing we have on our side is that fresh blood will overpower any natural scents we might give off. Keep moving." Joey had to push Mikey in his horror, as he was so fixed in terror on the blood fountains. She was still dragging Don by his arm as his eyes stayed locked on the writhing, living, human bodies, stuck to the ceiling overhead.

It was as if they had stepped into the depths of the most horrifying nightmare. Neither Don nor Mikey could have fathomed the intensity of what they saw before them and it flooded the both of them with terror and absolute awe. Joey led the two of them, her arm through Don's and her other hand lightly pushing on Mikey's back, closer towards the edge of the tightly packed dance floor. She glanced over to Leo who appeared, as he often did, stoic and focused - determined. She offered him a little nod as she saw him glance at her from the edge of his glasses. It was hard for them to move as there were people everywhere, crowded together. At least they looked like people; as Leo's eyes swept over them, he caught their dark, penetrating eyes and flashes of shiny, blood stained fangs in their mouths. They most definitely were not human, that was for sure. At least not anymore.

Reality hit Don swiftly and he felt his stomach lurch again as he realized the blood was food for them; these were the monsters that now plagued their lives. That were after Raph and Casey. They were real - there might not be science to back it yet, but they were there...feeding. He couldn't question or deny them now, standing in their mass orgy. Through the flashing lights, he eyes caught sight of small cups being passed around, person to person, filled high with the red liquid. He saw one heatedly kiss another in a desperate attempt to steal the remaining blood on the other's lips. There was tension there and he couldn't be sure if they were biting each other or actually holding onto that initial kiss. There was even one pressed against the wall, licking the surface as it relished in the thin streaks of blood that trailed down the metallic walls. It seemed almost orgasmic for them all, the height of pleasure and ecstasy.

There were doors, many doors, that lined the farthest wall from them. All of them were closed and made of the same shiny surface as the walls. It reflected the lights back into the crowded club. If the room they stood in was any indication of what existed in this foul place, the last thing he wanted to see was the horrors that await behind the rest of the building including the rows of doors.

It was then that the music had stopped entirely. There was an eerie lull in the room around them, the sudden lack of music soaking the room in silence before there was a swooshing sound above them. There was uproar from the crowd; though the music had started to play again, it couldn't be heard over the amazingly powerful noise of the vampire's glee cries.

Leo saw it on Don's head a fraction of a second before it fell on him; Don's beanie cap became suddenly saturated with crimson and then he felt the sudden burning hot feeling of blood raining down on him too. He couldn't see anything around him as the air was misty and red from the blood that was suddenly falling down as if it was being pumped through an overhead sprinkler system. It was burning hot against his skin and he felt his head swell in confusion and astonishment as his entire body was covered in human blood, the others similar to him. The entire room, in fact, was drenched.

It was then that he had looked upwards, in the hopes of finding something to explain what was happening. He felt the blood roll down his face. It went tacky on his skin almost immediately. He could see, through the foggy haze that settled around them as the sprinklers above ceased, what it was that had rendered Don speechless. Among the bodies pinned to the ceiling, there was a singular one that hung limply in its spot. Blood dripped mercilessly down its entire body as it was cut and pierced many, many times in order to make it bleed. It was the person's eyes—the woman's eyes—that made his heart stop for a moment.

They were wide and round, lifeless and staring downward at the floor below, at the people who had celebrated her death by bathing in a shower of blood, possibly hers. In the places where her body had torn from too many piercing of the torture devices, her skin had no longer been able to hold together and it was as if she simply split open, spraying all her insides down on the floor below.

Joey reach out and grabbed Mike, pulling him back as soft splashes and thuds sounded off the floor just in front of him where some of the victim's organs had fallen. The sudden meat was making a frenzy among the creatures trying to get at the more blood filled trophies. "We have to keep moving." Joey barked, though it was useless against the roar of the crowd. She could feel Don stiffen and Mikey was rendered unmoving entirely, but she'd heard a squeak escape him that would have sounded like a shrill but brief shout if there wasn't music blaring. They had seen death, they had inflicted wounds that caused bodies to bleed - they had even bled; but nothing compared to this. The fabric of their clothes were heavier with the bits of blood that had soaked into the fibers. But it also helped keep them disguised from the monsters who might turn on them for sport in their frenzy of excitement. There was no telling, underneath all that red, that they were green.

She had backed them up far enough that they bumped into something. She swung around and it was then that she realized they were in real danger. They had stumbled on the bar that was built out from the wall. A naked body of a man was tied to the bar top and there were vampires lined up, taking hits from the exposed flesh. He too was alive, writhing under their teeth as they sank into his body. When each creature would surface, there were obvious puncture wounds and little bits of deep purple around the wound where the blood was raised to the surface of the skin, making bruises on the living body.

Joey shuttered. It was because the writhing man's face was not in pain, but in pleasure as he died, that horrified her. As she'd told Raph, mortals found the bite of a vampire and the drawing of blood when done by their teeth erotic and euphoric. It was intoxicating to any mortal because of the wave of adrenaline that washed over them as their physical body tried to protect itself from such devastating pain. However, the way that the mind tricked them was what made each puncture more gratifying than the last. The poor bastard didn't even know he was dying. Joey considered it no better a fate, and no more dignified, than the people hanging from the rafters by meat hooks.

Leo now understood, fully, the dangers of which Joey and Payton had warned. Why they had been so hesitant in their explanation. He assumed, in his realistic view, that this wasn't even half of what they should expect from these monsters. Ash was definitely in grave danger. They all were, and Leo wished for a moment, that he had come alone as he immediately worried about the effects this would have on his brothers. "How do we find Elisa?" He shouted over the music to Joey who looked his way.

"I could take you." The voice that came was new and both Joey and Leo turned. He was handsome, but all the night creatures appeared to be and Leo couldn't be sure why. There was just an unnatural beauty to them all despite their disgusting actions. Asian, he was Asian, with fine porcelain skin and a striking smile that looked like something out of a magazine ad for teeth whitener. His multi colored hair, the top layer being bright red, seemed shockingly fit to match those pointy teeth. Joey, Leo felt, stumbled back.

"Yuki-san." She breathed and Leo felt a second of horror shoot through him. This was exactly what they didn't need right now, at least before this moment Joey had had her head on straight where his brothers were panicking. He couldn't be the only one with a level mind right then. And, in truth, he didn't know how much longer he could keep himself level. The man reached up and pushed a few of his prefect red bangs back from his face and Leo noticed the tattoo around his wrist, one that looked like the first part of the words on the bloody ascot. Questions sprang to his mind, but he knew this was not the time to let them consume him, but he was aware that clearly - whatever Raph had stumbled into - was something deeper and more vast than he could have ever imagined.

"Joey." Leo caught her shoulders and gripped them tightly. He was watching her, watch the vampire sway aloofly in his spot.

"Take us then." She finally said, firmly and with a little lift of her chin, but the vampire seemed to have better ideas of what to do with her.

"I'm surprised they haven't noticed you yet." He smiled again and Leo would have been happy to take his head off right then. "But I did...Joey-shi. I noticed you." The way he said her name was malicious and then he rattled something off in quick Japanese, too fast, over the music, for Leo to even pretend to be able to make it out. Joey, however, seemed to understand because she went stiff under Leo's fingers and Yuki's eyes flicked up to Leo. It didn't matter what was said, Leo didn't like it. These creatures were terrorizing everyone. He couldn't help but inwardly smirk at the irony of her fear of alligators when these were the monsters she dealt with.

"Piss off, Yuki." Joey finally found her voice. That was when it happened, too quickly for Leo to react. The vampire was much faster than he expected. He had not been on the roof when Raph and Mikey witnessed it first hand and therefore had no real way of knowing how fast they could be. He had launched forward and caught Joey by the wrist, jerking her free of Leo's grasp. A blade came out in an instant, light reflecting sharply off the metal surface, and sliced through the flesh of her arm, from wrist to elbow. "I have been waiting for this moment, to eat you alive."

The look of horror on Joey's face was shocking, the pain didn't even register and the music died instantly. Everyone's eyes were on the deep, angry gash in which bubbled up bright red blood from Joey's veins. The man holding her arm by the wrist seemed to shift and Leo felt a pang of concern pulse through him. These monsters weren't predictable as it was, but it seemed as if Yuki was slightly feral right then, salivating and his eyes were dangerous. With all the blood around, it seemed strange that this would be what made him maniacal. "I give you...Josephine Hoxie!" He called and it seemed as if all the vampires turned to the bar they were at. He jerked her arm over the trough of the blood fountains.

"NO!" She bellowed and he gave her arm a twist and the bits of her blood, running in lines down her arm, poured into it. There was a lull and all the vampires seemed to catch the same frantic, delirious fever. In a rush, they all shot out to the fountains variously spread out in the room, like a pack of hyenas after a fresh carcass, left by the lions. They fought and stumbled over one another to get to the troughs. "And here you thought we couldn't eat you. I've been waiting for this moment. There is a market for you blood like yours, and this is exactly how we use it - your kind. Diluted." He smiled at her before giving her a firm push entirely into the fountain. Blood splashed over the edges as she was totally submerged. Leo had no idea how bad that was or could be, he was merely horrified that it happened.

His concealed katana were out in an instant. "There will be consequences for that." He growled and in a flash of steel, he was on the vampire. Joey had barely climbed out of the tub, Don somehow pulling his facilities together enough to help her out. "Leo no!" She shouted, but he didn't hear her over the blood pumping in his ears. "He doesn't understand - he'll just make them furious." She frantically said to Don, just as Leo's expert aim, sliced through the thick of Yuki's neck. Both of his katana crossed at the midpoint, like an 'X' against Yuki's throat. His head never made it to the floor, as his body was consumed in dust the instant his head was severed. Dead. Or at least gone as his body was deal long before that moment.

Another lull of silence as the vampires seemed to sense the attack.

"GOONGALA!"

* * *

><p><em>Their ten minutes was up and I was looking forward to the fight. Good thing no one told me not to look up, I just wanted to get in on the action. Raph was eager too, particularly after Payton gave him whatever was in that vial. It was like super juice or something, straight adrenaline maybe. Made him move faster, like he was never even hurt. I'll never understand it all.<em>

_I'm not crazy - this really happened._

_Leo was pumped, ready to fight - the explanations didn't matter right then. Like why Joey's blood seemed almost like a commodity, a delicacy to them. Or why one vampire death was like a cardinal sin. We were all fighters, except maybe Payton, so the rush helped keep us going. And what a rush it was. Too bad none of us ever considered the getting out part..._

* * *

><p><em><strong>::Author's Note::<strong>_

_**This chapters was also rough but we wanted to illustrate how bad these vampires actually are. They don't sparkle, they don't have souls, they don't do good nice things. They're vampires, they're predators, they're dangerous. We hope this chapter shows just how much. We know it's gory and, to be frank, we enjoyed writing it. We also like when the good guys slip up, such as Joey making a huge mistake. As usual more explanations to come, we just don't want to dump too much out there all at once. We like the evolution of a story, not the summary-first-chapter - in the way that here you go, here's what to expect from the rest of this story. We like to reveal slowly, to let the reader absorb more and enjoy more. And we like more twists and turns than the small intestines. Gory is still on the mind. ^_^**_

_**Please keep in mind every thing links in - we drop hints all along. It is done with intention. For example Ash's tattoo from his dollhood was mentioned in chapter 2 when Casey noticed it and thought it wasn't fitting for man of his behaviors to have a tattoo. It is a carefully orchestrated battle plan in which we go into chaptered story writing. There have been others we have not yet revealed yet and were slipped in, but we do try and keep everything linked. Please keep that in mind when reading, much of it is done for a reason.**_

_**We have written a chapter like this before, in a different way and different genre so we are familiar with the content. We quite enjoy this type of villainy. This title, we thought we should take a moment to address, where normally we use song titles or lyrics from Alkaline Trio, this is an album title. We hope you liked it. We are a bit nervous as of late about the content. We have certainly had fun sharing it. Any words of advice or encouragement would be greatly appreciated. As always, thank you for reading. V/R Stoic and Harley**_

_**And now, a chours from our favorite band that we figured fit...from, 'Your Neck'**_

_We're the things that go bump in the night that you can't see_  
><em> Yeah, we're the mishaps that always happen in threes<em>  
><em> This ain't no rocket science, no big mystery<em>  
><em> Why the light of day that's shown to us<em>  
><em>Is absolutely meaningless to me <em>

_Well first things first, we've gotta find a way_  
><em> To make the beauty of the nighttime last all day<em>  
><em> We'll do our very best to keep our appetites in check<em>  
><em> You better watch your back, we want your neck<em>

**_P.S. Random fact - Harley is terrified of horror movies; it may not be obvious from this chapter. ^_^_**


	9. Fall Victim

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets**  
>Chapter Eight:<br>Fall Victim

_I had been wanting to shout it for awhile to be honest. It was a mess, what's that word - CHAOTIC - it was a chaotic mess. That's what April says about how I like to leave the clothes on the floor and stuff. Man, would she be surprised if she saw this. Never again would she compare the two. But hey, I'm still here - alive and breathing. I suppose that's a feat in and of itself after what happened that night._

_Payton and Joey used the word 'frenzy', like it's an official term or something all 'vampire hunters' should know. Frenzy. They frenzy over certain things...like Raph's blood. Joey was pretty sure that if they cut him open, it would be like they did with hers. Not exactly, but sort of. That Elisa bitch sure wanted him, not so much me - I should be breathing easy about that, but I'm not because Raph's my pal and that's part of the reason I'm in this joint._

_I hate it here. I'm not crazy. I want out._

_Anyway, the night that got me here and the one that happened then were really different. I'll get to that..._

* * *

><p>Casey's golf club smashed into the skull of the first one he saw. They were covered in red, having looked up form the feeding trough that was laced with Joey's blood. The crimson liquid had circulated through the pipes, like some sort of masochistic farm animal feeding in a barn. The fact that her face was covered in red and two pointy teeth poked out from under the curve of her upper lip gave Casey the go ahead to smash her in the face so hard that he heard her skull crack and crumble like a bulb of glass. He shouldn't have been, but he was surprised when she merely whipped back in his direction, hissing like a vicious snake, with one side of her head caved in. It didn't even seem to bother her, let alone slow her down in her attacks<p>

He heard Raph laugh maniacally behind him, insane with the rush of the fight that seemed to spawn on the floor in a disorganized mess. Anarchy exploded in an instant. All of the creatures suddenly saw those seven living bodies as a threat. Before, they had been lulled by their hedonistic enjoyment, not concerned with the people who were in their pleasure pit. It was tension filled still, like any second one of them could snap and decide to attack, as if walking through a pack of wolves. Now, with the death of one of their own, the club and all the vampires in it lit with rage and desire to kill. It just so happened that those they were targeting were the turtles themselves.

"I thought you said they didn't kill!" Don had barked at Joey, letting her go the second fights broke out. He unsheathed his Bo staff from his back with expert hands. He watched Leo get caught by the collar of his shirt and jerked back. It only infuriated the blue turtle, as Don knew that sort of thing was the hazards Leo had meant when he told Payton that's all clothing was. Joey ducked down behind him, trying to wipe blood from her face, spitting and sputtering as she did so. "Yeah! When you don't kill them first! There's a damn social order to this thing - being murderers isn't one of them! What would you do?" She shouted back, her lazy mocking having come back this time as a snap. Don didn't answer, though her words definitely were well received.

Don's staff smacked into one, sending it into three others. They fell, or he though they had, but they moved so fast that they were on their feet before he'd even had the chance to blink. He turned around to tell Joey to stay close, but she wasn't there anymore. Don didn't have time to look for her as he felt one pounce on his shell. It was so sudden that he thought he imagined their speed, nothing could truly move that quickly. Right through the fabric of his jacket and shirt, teeth sank into the flesh of his shoulder. He grunted, pain hitting the spot like an icy shot to that particular patch of his skin. It was mere seconds, if that, before fire raced through his cold blooded veins, filling him up with a warm blissful sensation that made his knees go slightly weak. Pain instantly followed pleasure in a way that knocked the wind from the depths of his chest. Enough that he stumbled. The weight of his shell, coupled with the creature perched up there, made him off balance. He tried to shake the heavenly sensation that he knew was artificially created by the magic of these undead beasts. If he didn't, he was pretty sure he could die at the hands of this vampire - or the teeth. Though that prospect didn't worry Don as much as it really should, he was merely consumed by the ecstasy.

Suddenly the teeth and pleasure were ripped from Don as Mikey flew through the air, kicking the creature off from Don's back. Don, barely, could hear his brother's panting, but he certainly heard the buzzing whirl of Mikey's nunckucks, followed by the crunching of them as they smashed into something. It didn't quite sound like the way it did when they hit living flesh. Instead, it sounded strange, like he was fighting a decaying building, with the way they cracked and crumbled upon impact. The worst part, Don realized, as he recovered from the unnatural rapture, was that nothing kept them down. No matter how he and Mikey tried to stop them, with as many hits and knock downs they had, nothing truly phased these supernatural beings. It was as if Mikey had, from where Don was hunched over on his knees, stepped into one of his own video games. Only this time no amount of continues would keep them alive. Where ever vampire had an endless amount of lives, they one had one and it was dying fast with their ticking clock.

Leo's blades sliced through them, as if they were paper dolls rather than animated beings, as he fought others on his own. He wasn't far from Don and Mikey, but entirely consumed by the vampires advancing to him. With each swipe of his katana, even every severed limb, they came back at him, just like the three that had pounced on Mikey. Leo, however, was going for heads. He was sure he'd destroyed at least a dozen, but they wouldn't stop. A never ending flow of them seemed to exist, no finish in sight. Where one went down in a pile of ash, two more were waiting behind the last. He was starting to tire, but unwilling to relent as he continued to press forward no matter how many were behind him, to his sides and directly in front of him. Leo fought with all his might and didn't let fear factor in with the concern that he would make mistakes if that he should loose his focus to fear. The second he allowed himself to be scared, and to realize how futile his efforts really were, the second his life would truly be over.

Raph was pleased a punch. He, unlike the rest of them, was in love with this. The smell hit him like the sweet bouquet of familiarity. It wasn't pleasant, but it was what Raph knew, and what had him going; or at least it did right then. He was more pumped than he had been in a long while. It was somewhat artificial, caused by the concoction that Payton had put together and given to him when they hit the nine minute mark. Raph didn't know, not yet, as it all felt real to him - and some of his modivation was. The parts of him, however, that didn't feel the pain of his actions would feel them tenfold in hours to come.

If he could make it that long.

His sais sliced into the throats of the beast and, though not nearly as clean as his brother with the swords, managed severing heads. He was showy in his fighting, proving his skill and training by gracefully bounding between the dozen and a half monsters that had surrounded him. He didn't realize, in his high, just how dire the situation was. How they were faster and stronger, how there were exponentially more of them and how eventually he and his brothers, Casey too, would wear out. They didn't even seem to break a sweat, not that they had the fluid to. They seemed entirely energized, regardless of any retaliation against them. Casey, a few feet behind him, had backed himself into a corner where five of them were bearing down on him. There was panic in his decisions as he merely covered his eyes with one hand and swung his hockey stick at them. The golf club lie in a twisted metal knot near the doorway, having been at the mercy of some guiltless vampire.

"SILENCE!"

The voice rang out like a sharp bell in the club, shrill and grating, carrying through the cavernous rafters. Ever vampire - no matter its state of action - stopped at the voice's command. It took a few additional hits before the four turtles and Casey's attention were drawn up to the a small platform, almost like that of a stage where bands might play. There was where Elisa stood, Ash in front of her. She had a shiny dagger pressed to the swell of his esophagus under the flesh of his neck. His head bobbed a little, clearly strung out as little bits of red ran down his chin on the otherwise immaculate body. He looked nothing like himself, pale white and gaunt as he was cradled somewhat in Elisa's arms. A door, a part of the line behind her, was open wide and lead inward to a darker room. "I could kill him now, don't move or I will. Or a fate much worse than death, I can arrange it. I can only imagine its him you came for." She seemed like she was stifling a ferocity that shown on the lines of her narrowed eyes. With every calm infliction of her words, her eyes were bugged and distracted too by the blood that had initially caused the vampires to snap. She was livid by the interruption. Her hand pressed the knife into Ash's flesh, as if that would prove her point and she half dreamed of doing it right then. It would save her a lot of headache.

"Elisa don't." It was Payton's voice that cut through the crowd. The others had mostly forgotten he was there. He was near to Raph, pushing through some of the vampires with bold strides. If any of them were going to act out of turn, it would be Raph in his current condition. "Give it a minute, just a minute..." he said in a low voice to Raph, but it was quite enough in the club that it could be heard by all. Elisa turned her head to Payton, but drew her tongue up the length of Ash's face as he wobbled in his spot. He wasn't fully aware, in fact he seemed like he was in some twilight state of semi awareness. All the vampires on the floor seemed amused or obedient, some ready to watch these living creatures die, perhaps even pinned on the ceiling above. One, with red lips, from her biting into him, had her dark and dangerous eyes set on Don. It made an involuntary chill race up his spine as he forced his eyes away.

"You're awful bold, Mr. Lionel. Bringing your friends in here to save your brother. I didn't know you had it in you." Elisa said.

"It's nothing any of us wouldn't do for our family." Leo cut in before Payton had the chance to speak. It was true, if it were any of his brothers, he would have done the same. In fact, he would have been a hell of a lot less likely to wait outside as the Lionel brother had. His katana pointed at her as he had every intention, and hope, of slicing her body at her neck like he had the others. "You will give him back now."

She smiled. "A believer. A dreamer. An optimist. We'll take care of those qualities. I look forward to breaking you of your idealistic view. Its my favorite challenge." She, however, looked up in that instant. The squeak of the pipes rang through the club, cutting her off at the end of her sentence. In a second, they came to life, spraying down a red mist that covered the whole of the club. She seemed momentarily surprised by it as the rave had stopped. Her head dipped back and looked up toward the misting rain of blood. It was also if in that moment she felt something different; something was special about this particular batch of 'rain'.

The sprinklers were fed by the troughs, where a hose led to a switch on the wall near where the row of doors started. It was manned by one of the creatures who would offer them a shower periodically to watch them squeal in glee, but not too often as to drain the fountain bowls. It didn't take much blood to sprinkle down and get the desired effect; but, greedy vampires as they all were, they could drain the pools before they knew it had been done. The post had been abandoned in the tussle. But now Joey stood at the switch, a bag of blood in her hand with the tube of the medical donation bag directly linked to the complex sprinkler system. It was half empty as the coy woman wiggled her fingers at the vampire leader. It was too late by then, the blood that was in the system before had run out as the vampires drank the troughs clean of blood, including Joey's. Whatever concoction Joey was running through the system from the bag had started to spray the crowd.

The knife fell out of Elisa's hand and it was as if she had snapped in that moment. She let go of Ash, who tumbled to the ground in a sort of heap of a man. Elisa frantically tried to get at more blood that was raining down by leaping onto the vampire closest to her. She used him to climb up higher, to reach the sprinklers, as if that would mean more blood for her. In fact, they exhibited the same insane behavior as they fought one another to get at more of the mist spraying down. Even if that meant biting and chomping on each other, pushing and shoving and climbing, they did it for the sole purpose of those droplets falling. Fights broke out among each other in an instant as they all battled, like ravenous wolves, to get at more of the precious commodity raining down. They seemed to have forgotten the turtles, forgotten Ash and Joey and Casey too...they were solely interested in the delectable blood.

Joey had jumped up onto the platform Elisa and Ash stood at, meeting Leo there, who had also taken the opportunity to get to Ash. "I got him." Joey pushed Leo's hand away but the turtle paid it no mind, having already looped Ash's limp arm over his neck. "I said I got him." She barked, but Leo merely looked her way.

"Now's not the time. Lets get out of here."

* * *

><p><em>Thank God for Payton and Joey not jumping into the fight. They were thinking ahead. They certainly got us out of there. I would never go back in there. Not like that at least. Obviously I did go back or I wouldn't BE HERE!<em>

_Anyway, I also saw why they said we needed rest. Yeah that was sort of the kind of thing that makes you use all your energy. Raph crashed, the second we got back, he was out. All that adrenaline wore off and the drug that he was given too. Payton seemed a little concerned..._

* * *

><p>"I shouldn't have given it to him." Payton was frazzled as he leaned over Raph, sleeping heavily. There were a lot of wounds to look at after everyone was cleaned up. Ash had been tied up. His wrists and ankles were chained to one of the beds as if he was some sort of prisoner. Mikey had offered his and therefore the lanky man was, like Raph, unconscious too, sprawled out on Mikey's bed.<p>

"What did you give him?" Leo asked both curiously and concerned too as he took the doctor's worry as his own. It was the first of many questions that would spill out of the leader's mouth. "What did you put in the sprinklers?" Leo immediately turned to Joey, who was picking at the end of a stitch on her arm that Payton had done first; he'd said she'd lost enough blood and if any more came out, she might need a bed too. She was already sitting on the couch, seemingly unfazed by what had transpired.

"Blood." She said simply, but when Leo took a step toward her, she held up her hands and sank back into the couch she was sitting on. There was clearly more demanded from the blue turtle as he didn't quite accept such a blase answer."Blood that makes them high, the same way that they make bites high for their victims and definitely for their dolls too. It can be fatal though, when it's not diluted. You were there - you heard Yuki. Pure, its like death...diluted, its a delicacy"

"Yeah, about that." Leo's arms folded over his chest, his eyes set and narrow. "Are there any others that will get in our way and make anyone slip up? Because I'd like to know so I can be prepared for them too; I'm not one for obstacles, Joey. Why shouldn't I have killed him, you told me to stop. He was in our way, he was making you...act unlike you. Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Payton said as he continued to check Raph's vitals. He finally got flustered enough that he slapped the cloth in his hand off on the coffee table. "They have a hierarchy society. They have a society, even if its one we're not a part of or used to. It's like...wolves. There's always a pack leader and all the others listen to that one. But if the opportunity to take over the bigger, more bad wolf comes along, they will. They fight each other to claw their way to the top. But if an outsider hurts one of their own, they see it as a threat on the whole. One death turned into the possible death of them all. It was a threat - an attack - on all of them when you killed Yuki. So you became their obstacle and they were going to do whatever they could to get rid of you." Payton brushed a bit of sweat matted hair back and shook his head. It was clear, much like everyone else, that he was tired and worn out though he continued on. "I gave him something to numb the pain and induce emotion, courage in this case. It took a toll, but he'll be okay. It's not something his body should have had to deal with, but it was the only option. Let me see your shoulder, Don."

Payton trailed off to where the other turtle who had been bitten, was sitting, but his pride was battered more than his body as he dipped his head down some in shame. Don wondered, for a moment, what Raph had really felt as his words earlier certainly didn't match the sensations Don experienced.

"Is the doctor right? Will he be okay?" Leo asked, kneeling down next to Raph, but looking over to Joey. His hand was resting against the spot where Raph was still wounded, touching the gauze with careful fingers.

She nodded briefly, confidently even. "I've never known Payton to be wrong when it comes to medical stuff. He's kind of a nerd with it, he's the best we got and well...he's done this before. Raph'll be fine. At least for now." Leo seemed somewhat okay with that answer, though it only spawned more questions on his mind as he dipped down to look over Raph's injured body.

"Was it your blood in the sprinkles?" He finally asked.

She looked up at Leo. "No." She said with a shake of her head. "Payton, he used to be one of the doctors for the vampires. Those bodies up there, they're brought down and treated, kept alive to reuse. It's a renewable power source - it takes a lot to find those people and just wasting them each night isn't the best idea. People notice death, remember? Well he was a doctor for the them not by choice, but for Ash, when he was trying to find him, before he met me. That was all before I could help him find which doll house he was at. So he ran the vampire ring, healing those he could so they could be used again as either ceiling decoration or as dolls themselves. Dolls are treated like royalty-you don't just let them get sick or die, they have to be attended to...that's what Payton did. He's not a bad guy, I know it sounds like it when he was helping them so long ago. Those monsters. He did it for Ash though. He gets single minded when it comes to his family." Joey explained. Leo was quiet as every part of him could understand - out of all of them - how easy it was to get side tracked and focused with family.

How easy it was to lose morality for the sake of their safety.

"But because of it, he knew where they kept the blood - the bagged blood in the fridge to transfer back into their victims or fill the fountains. Its true, they cut some blood with others like a drug. They spike it like punch. Your blood would be a commodity, I'm sure. Cold blood would be delicious to them or at least something different. Sometimes they do that with children or pregnant women...children, Leo." She looked horrified; it was the first time this seemed to truly bother her. "Because it's supposedly sweeter." She shook her head a little bit and look over to Raph's sleeping face. She looked sad, momentarily, at their predicament.

"What blood is fatal though? You did say that right?" He was doing his best not to feel sick from all this, from the idea of children and women being killed and drained for this sport. Leo was trying not to think about Payton helping the villains, as he could understand the logic. It was a difficult thing for him to grapple with though as the lines of good and bad blurred. Leo figured he would do anything, anything, for his brothers.

"Yeah, I did."

"Your blood?" He asked honestly, eyes focused on Joey for more answers as she seemed so willing to speak then.

"Yes." She said simply. "When it's raw. That's why I thought we'd be safe...God I'm dumb." She shook her head and looked back at the slice down her arm. She held it up for him to see. "I'm not suicidal no matter how much it might seem like it. When Ash wakes up, he's going to have a hissy fit, realizing he's in the sewers. He's not cut out for this life. After we fight off the withdrawal, that is. That's why he's tied - its a drug like any other and his body isn't going to be happy we took away. Twice now. He has to stay that way, for us and him. It's going to be a rough 48 hours." She told Leo. "It's enough." She reached out and patted his shoulder lightly, peeling herself up off from the couch. "It's enough for now. No more questions, I'm spent on this stuff. Rest, care for your brother. Later we'll talk more." She told him, as if inviting him to ask whatever he wanted to know at some point beyond right now. Beyond when her head pounded and her body ached for how tired was.

She paused however, as she moved to leave the room to sleep elsewhere. Her normal lazy and aloof manner melted a little to a soft, warmer disposition. "Thanks." She spoke honestly, though she didn't point to anything in particular that she was thankful for.

The corners of Leo's mouth turned up a little. "You're welcome. Hey Joey." He called after her, still perched next to Raph's sleeping body, petting his arm lightly. He couldn't believe he was going to say what he was about to. It seemed naive even to him. But he needed to hear her answer. "Is it over?"

She watched him for a second before she leaned against the wall. Finally, she slowly shook her head. "No. I'm afraid not. It's only just begun."

* * *

><p><em>I heard her say it. It stuck with me. I've never heard anything truer in my life. It sucks. <em>

_I still wonder sometimes, when it's going to be over..._**  
><strong>


	10. Where Fighters Are Lovers

**PLEASE READ ME!** (Even if you don't read our author's notes normally.)  
><em><strong>::Author's Note::<strong>_  
>This note is very important (hence it being at the beginning of the chapters, an unusual place for us), please read it. <em><strong>Please. Read. It. <strong>_See what I did there, putting it in bold and italics just to be sure it was clear. This chapter is a 'Gaiden' or side story to the main story. You. Do. Not. Have. To. Read. It. (to understand and follow the main plot) It's a character flavor side tale for those of you who may be interested in their pasts. It's not essential to the main story and just, instead, builds history, depth and quality to the characters.

Inside you will find more about Payton, Ash, Joey and Yuki. This is our only disclaimer as to what you will find inside. Please don't let it deter you, but also let it be a fair warning for what you will find. We just thought we'd share a fraction of past events that led to the present day. We do hope you enjoy this little momentary pause to breathe and enjoy some ' just for fun' stuff. We hope you enjoy it as much as we liked writing it. We would, however, really like it if you did read it. ^_^

Again, thank you.  
>- Stoic and Harley<p>

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets**  
>Chapter Eight *Gaiden*:<br>Where Fighters are Lovers, Enemies are Friends

_I was dreaming, hard. I knew it too because when I woke up, I'd forgotten most of what actually happened. That, at least, was until I spotted Raph with that gauze all over him. He was sitting up now, awake and clearly frustrated with the bandaging limiting his movement. Donnie was awake too, leaning over the kitchen table - or at least what served as their kitchen table. He was tinkering with something; it wasn't that odd a sight, so there was no need to worry. Mikey was sprawled out on the couch since Ash was in his bed, his head lobbed to the side as he slept like a rock._

_I saw Payton off to the side, separated some from the other turtles. He looked like hell. Probably hadn't gotten a wink the night before; hell, the only reason I did was because my body wasn't having any more of that 'awake' nonsense. Looking back now, sometimes I don't hate him. Only sometimes. The other times, I want to wring his neck._

_That was when I realized..._

* * *

><p>"Where's Joey?" Casey mumbled, rubbing sleep from his eyes. She hadn't ventured out of the main area yet. If a turtle was missing, Casey wouldn't think much of it because it was, after all, their house. The tinkering noise stopped as Donnie's hands ceased to play with the metal between them. Helooked over to Payton, curious too as he hadn't seen her leave. Raph stood up and stretched his sore, stiff muscles. "Yeah, I was beginning to think that this place was too quiet without her bitching." Raph chuckled at himself for what he considered his own wit.<p>

"It's Sunday." Payton remarked off hand, as if they should know what exactly that meant. He went back to whatever he was doing, which appeared to be mixing strange fluids together. Casey was surprised Don hadn't rushed over to stick his nose in Payton's business. Though, for all Casey knew about science and whatnot, Don could easily be playing with something specifically for whatever Payton was mixing. But Payton's response didn't seem to help any of them as, no matter how obvious it seemed it should be, it hardly was. Donnie spoke first, the only one of them to consider the possiblity that they had overlooked something important. "Yeah, I guess it is." It was as if he was considering which day of the week it was. It was something that often went missed by them, their lifestyle not lending to which day it was as they had to rely on clocks to be sure if it was night or daylight out.

Payton paused and looked up. He looked weathered right then, older than he probably was. For as rested as they seemed, Payton was sunken "Church." He said stiffly. "She never missed a mass a day in her life."

"You have got be kidding me." Raph was dumbfounded, the most of them all - at least to vocalize it. That level of shock rarely manifested on the red wearing turtle. Don too was surprised, though curious as it was not fitting for the vampire hunting girl; such faith and belief never really made sense to him, at least not to his scientific mind. The parts of him curious to understand how people's brains worked, emotionally in ways beyond chemical and mathematical equations, made him wonder briefly what drove Joey. And Casey was just surprised she would be so open to leaving when they were clearly all in danger.

"Why?" Payton had gone back to his mixtures. "We all believe in something. Don't you? We have to or else we'll go mad." He didn't look up as he spoke, merely pouring little bits of red in with blue and then finally a silvery one. "It keeps us grounded. She doesn't do it to impress you or even to get your opinion. It's personal and she keeps it that way. You never would have known if I hadn't told you and you never will because she'll never talk about it. It's not something she wants you to believe just because she does. It's something she wants to believe. Without faith in something, our lives are very sad because we have nothing else.

"You have faith, don't you? It doesn't have to be in a God or a religion, it doesn't have to even be in something tangible. Faith in love, belief in family...you believe, if you step outside, your brothers will be one move behind you, keeping you safe...don't you?" Payton's eyes flickered up, almost as if challenging Raph. "There is faith in that - you can't be sure its going to happen, you might have reasons to believe so but what are they but hopes? Does it keep you going out there every night, just knowing if you're in a bad way, you'll have someone to save you?" Payton shrugged some as Raph seemed to grow very quiet, quiet enough to have not much to offer back to the doctor, but a seemingly disinterested grunt.

"I think, Payton, we know all about faith." Don nodded his head firmly, standing up a little bit as he defended his brother without actually meaning to step in between the two. "Without faith in each other, we are nothing."

* * *

><p><em>It was sort of sad but totally true, the things the doc said. He was right and it shut Raph up but quick. At the end of the day, though, Don's got the right idea-we're supposed to believe in each other, in whatever we can. 'Cause otherwise, this place is just a pretty sad place to be.<em>

_It was also then that I realized Leo was missing too, and I couldn't hear him practicing..._

* * *

><p>Leo followed Joey to the cemetery after she'd exited St. Patrick's Cathedral. When she left earlier that morning, he wasn't about to let her go alone, not with all that he knew existed beyond the darkest shadows and creepiest allies. They all were recovering, both physically and emotionally, from what they'd seen. Mikey had nightmares all night, ones where he kicked and whimpered and even screamed once. They kept Leo up for some time as he would get up to soothe Mikey before trying to fall back asleep himself. Don didn't sleep, at least that Leo saw throughout the night. His eyes were as if pinned open in horror for what he'd witnessed. He had spent the entire night up in his lab, the lights on and the door shut for a while. The only one who seemed to have a real nights sleep was Raph, and that was mostly due to the fact that his body gave up on trying to stay awake any longer.<p>

They needed Joey still, just like they needed Payton, therefore he couldn't let her die. Beyond that, he had a moral obligation to them as he felt they were offering quite a bit to he and his brothers. Without them, they might not know what it was that was after them - without them, he was pretty sure Raph and Casey both would be dead. If not he and his other brothers too for their lack of knowledge going into the club. And, quite simply, he just didn't want Joey to be hurt in any way. He wasn't surprised when she had gone into the building, nor when she left it, or when her feet carried her further to one of the few patches of green ground in the city. The cemetery was empty this early in the morning. It was just after sunrise and sun had not crept high enough on the horizon yet to allow the sun to hit the ground beyond the towering buildings. He used those shadows to his advantage, hiding his misshapen form.

Dew was still on the grass and the morning rays hadn't warmed up the air yet. Leo felt the chill, but was unwilling to let it dissuade him from his mission. She was wearing a coat that was tucked up tightly around her body. She had a small apartment in the Bronx, Leo had followed her there too, before the sun was even up fully. She wasn't inside long, but when she came out, she was dressed more responsibly. She was less like a mix matched tub with clothes that were over two decades old at Goodwill.

She pulled her hand out of her pocket in front of a headstone and placed something on it. It was small enough that Leo couldn't make out what it was. It glistened, however, in the fresh light of day. Metal.

"I'm not much for caring if anyone steals it. It's not mine anymore, pops." She said, bending down and sitting in the grass just before the headstone. "Father Trout talked about letting things go at mass today. People, he said, were the ones we held onto longest. I went to confession too, you would have been proud. I didn't have to bitch about premarital sex this time." She laughed a little at a joke clearly unspoken. "I miss you. It's not nice to eavesdrop." She cut the direction of her words off suddenly, so much so it could be missed for how quick it was. She turned around on her butt as she'd planted herself there, her eyes swinging up to where he stood some ways away. Leo didn't figure she knew he was there, but wasn't surprised that she did either. "Nothing can hide in the shadows from me. It's daytime Leo, the scary things only come out at night. I don't need a stalker." She explained.

"But if you want to listen, you're more than welcome. But why don't you come out here and be with me rather than the two of us pretending like the other isn't there." She nodded to the headstone before patting a soft tuff of grass for him to sit on. "My dad. I try and visit a lot, but it's been awhile." Leo took a few steps forward, he bowed his head politely to her. His eyes drifted over to the headstone and now that he was closer, was able to see that it was a gold ring she'd placed there. "It will be stolen." He told her honestly, a little bit of sadness in his voice as he sank down to kneel beside her.

She nodded. "And whomever finds it deserves it as it's not mine." She explained.

"I'm sorry, Joey." He confessed softly, his eyes sweeping over the tombstone of her late father. Death both saddened and frightened him. Because part of him knew that day would come for them too, for his brothers, for Master Splinter. Death was their biggest and most impossible foe. "I couldn't imagine what it was like to lose him. I'm sorry you had to go through that pain...I wish it were possible to stop it, for any of us. But I suppose the best we can do is try and move on. We can do something worthy with our lives so that, in the end, everything they died for was everything they left us to live instead."

Joey was quiet for a moment, picking some at the grass as she smoothed it out and straightened the more crooked blades. "What are you apologizing for? Its not you're the reason he's gone." She turned a little to Leo, questioning him with her eyes. "I suppose, yeah. We'll see how proud he ends up being."

There was a lull of silence as the early morning breeze lazily swept in. It was so quiet in the cemetery, even the very city they were in offering its respectful mourning to those that which would never grace its surface again. When Leo spoke again, he spoke softly. "You lit a candle in the cathedral at the statue...why?" He asked.

"For Yuki. Good job sneaking into a church, hot shot." She answered, brushing off some of the leaves that sat at the base of her father's headstone, which read Joseph Marshall Hoxie.

"But..." Leo was momentarily stunned, his thoughts started to move slow as the wheels in his brain seemed to clog at the confession. It didn't make sense to him as lighting a candle for a vampire seemed to contradict the very meaning behind the blessed ceremony in the first place.

"Don't worry, he was dead long ago and I accepted it then. I can embrace it better now that he's actually gone from this plane of existence. You had the courage to do what I never did, but always should have. For it, I thank you. He wasn't always that way, just like Payton wasn't always so reluctant and Ash...well, he's always been like that." She snorted, amused by the idea of the younger Lionel brother.

"You're not as tough as you let on." Leo observed, watching her as he felt somewhat guilty for having killed Yuki, that who she blessed. Beyond that, he was surprised by the compassion she had for someone that had sliced open her body to feed to the masses. She could defend and see the good in people when nothing but their negative traits shone for everyone else.

She scowled in his direction. "I'm tougher." She snapped, but leaned forward and pressed her hand to the headstone just over her dad's name. "They were alive once, someone's mother or father, sister or brother. Someone's son or daughter. Someone's husband or wife. Even their best friend. It's so easy to forget that when they're doing...well, what they do. They were people once, Leo. They were just like you or me - at the mercy of a creature with too much self-indulgence and malicious intent to withstand them. Does that make them bad people? No...cursed, yes. Broken, yes...worthy of being forgotten for the good people they used to be? Sometimes, once in awhile, they deserve someone to remember them. Or someone to let them go. Today is my day to let go."

"Did he give you that ring?" Leo asked. His eyes trailed over to her and she glanced at him sideways. Her nose wrinkled and she cringed out a smile. An almost unobservable nod escaped her.

"Yeah. Once upon a time. I saved him once. I failed at saving him twice. He was her doll - Elisa. She brought him over here from Japan. Of all places. She was looking for a fancy trophy I guess, one from every corner of the world or something. It was just after Ash had escaped. We broke him out with three other dolls and he just happened to be the one that we nursed back to health. It was entirely an accident that I went stupid for him. I'm not much for the whole love thing. It just complicates things. I remember when he gave it to me..."

_Yuki had the laugh of a hyena, which was coming out in boisterous waves as it seemed to be all the man did. It went with the bright smile on his face that made his eyes disappear into his cheeks as if he had slits with which to view rather than actual eyeballs. His English wasn't that great yet. Joey was glad he was smiling now, less gaunt and recovering from the intense withdraw he'd suffered. She gave him no end of hell for the ridiculous laugh and stupid smile, but, in truth, she loved it. It gave her hope and faith that it was genuine - and that meant he was better._

_"Joa-hee-shi." He barely got out her name phonetically, in his heavy accented voice, before he broke into another fit of laughter._

_"Are you fucking retarded? It's not **that** funny." She couldn't help but smile back at him, unable to help the laugh that bubbled in her throat for how much he was laughing. She couldn't honestly even remember why he'd started laughing to begin with. "For the love of God I'm going to drop you off on a street corner if you don't knock it off. Someone will think you're pretty enough to bring home. You look like a girl in that. Is that mine?" She joked, poking Yuki in the chest, where he was wearing a gold and black striped shirt. It only caused more fits of laughter to rumble form his belly, which over powered anything she could say._

_It was why she loved him, they were so very different. He gave her hope and made her smile in a rather ridiculously gloom and macabre existence. "I'm going to stop. For good." She told him, taking a few steps in front of him so that he had to stop, lest he smack right into her. She had been trying to get the courage to say it for the better part of the day. "I want to be with you. I want to be with you in a normal, white picket fence, two and a half dogs life. I'll even pretend that I can cook." She told him. Her heart palpitated in her chest, nervously, particularly as the smile on his face waned._

_"You're not normal, Joa-hee-chan, not normal at all." He said in her language, though the 'L' sound slurred a little into an 'R' at the end. He was still working on that one._

_"I love you." She stumbled through his, for him. Her Japanese was as good (or bad in this case) as his English for the time she'd spent in Japan, which was a whole other adventure that had to do with truly breaking him of his addiction._

_"But...without you, who will save people like me?" He asked quietly, in soft Japanese._

_She shook her head. "I don't care. Well, I care...but I care about me too. I'm ready to be saved myself. Yuki you've done that, you saved me from my job. 'Job' as it were. It's not so much the sort of thing that your guidance counselor offers up on career day in middle school. I never asked for this, it just sort of happened and I'm ready for it to end. I want to live and love for me once, no one has offered me that...this, rather...this feeling. Please keep saving me. It's my turn, damn it." She said sharply, almost demanding in a spew of words thrown at him. He, however, reached forward and caught her by the shoulders. He gave her a little shake._

_"Joa-hee-shi, you are my hero." He said very definitively before a smile broke out across his face. "See I had this already. And you mean I'm yours to come back to Japan." She tipped her head to the side and clearly the confusion on her face spawned confusion on his as they both laughed a little._

_"You are definitely mentally retarded - that English translator isn't helping much either, is it? But it's okay, I think I'll keep you anyway." She told him in faux sympathy looping her arm through his to take off down the New York sidewalk again. "I think you mean you want me to come back to Japan with you. To that I say, HELL YES!" She tried to move forward, but he was rooted to his spot and she jerked back with him as he refused to move. He wasn't tall by any means but nearly everything was taller and meatier than Joey Hoxie._

_When she turned to look at him, and ask what the heck they'd stopped for, he was holding the golden ring in his other hand. "I mean to marriage you." Joey stared at the ring for a long time, in shock as his broken English echoed in her brain._

_When she finally spoke, her voice came out soft despite the excitement in her words. "Epic fail, Yuki-kun...where's my knee? Oh, and you're totally going to be a Hoxie. There's no way I'm taking your last name..."_

"We were in Japan when she found him, after I already left. Dolls never become vampires, but she made an exception for me. For him. It's complicated. If a vampire sires a new vampire, which is so rare anyhow unless one gets dusted, then the age of that vampire is not based, status wise - socially - on the date it was born. Instead, its on the age of the sire. The older the vampire, the more prestige of the fledgling as they come straight from the source rather than so called 'generations' later. Elisa is older than dirt and Yuki-kun...er Yuki, he shot to the top the second he was made. He passed many vampires who'd been alive a lot longer, but made by vampires so far removed from the originals. It caused a lot of trouble in the community. And all just to piss me off and throw me back in their world. Which it did. Here I am." She mumbled bitterly, mocking her very own existence.

"I remember the first time he met Evie, back when we were all trying to be normal..."

_"I want one Joa-hee-shi!" He, as always, laughed while holding the little girl high up over his head. She seemed entirely preoccupied with squealing back a girlish laugh at the Asian man. She had dark black hair, pulled back into two pig tails, and a bright sundress._

_"You're pretty." The little girl told Yuki as he set her on her feet. The shoes were mismatched, one glittery silver and the other a patent leather teal that 'matched' her bright yellow and white polka dotted dress. She was tugging on Yuki's pant leg as she pointed over at her Joey. "Are you going to kiss her?" She asked with a smile that was bright enough to rival the sun in the sky._

_"Evelyn, honey, come here," Payton said in a soothing, fatherly voice. The little girl lit up further, not at all seeming like she was scolded, but sprinted to her father on eager legs. She forgot Yuki and Joey in that moment, distracted by her most favorite man in the world. She was laughing wildly as she bound to him. She sprang up and Payton barely had a chance to drop the mail in his hand and catch the little girl throwing herself on him. She planted a big showy kiss on his cheek. "I love you daddy!" She proclaimed excitedly, having forgotten why she'd come to him to begin with. The smile that crossed Payton's face was more than authentic, it was proud. The small girl looped her arms around Payton's neck and cuddled in close to her father._

_"Oh yeah, I'm right on that bandwagon." Joey looked at Yuki skeptically. "It's cute now, but it wasn't four years go when Amy squeezed that crotchling out." Yuki merely laughed, boisterously, though Joey was certain he didn't understand half of what she'd said._

_"Kids are fun, Joey. They have spirit we can only hope to hold onto. I love my Evie." The breezy voice of a lean, dark haired woman passed between Joey and her fiance as she offered them drinks. Amy wasn't normal by any means. It was as if she was lost in the clouds and no one could draw her back to Earth no matter how hard they tried. She offset Payton in a way that seemed to give him a freedom the man couldn't have on his own. She brought him gleefully with her into the stars. Some people might think Amy was slow for how naive she truly was, Payton found her brilliant for her beautiful view of the world._

_"I never said they weren't. I just like them when they're someone else's. When I can give 'em back when they poop and cry on me." She explained thoughtfully._

_"Our two aren't enough." Amy retorted in a dreamy manner, wistfully. "If I could kidnap all the neighborhood children, friends and family too, I would. I would love them so much."_

_"I'm sure." Joey told her offhandedly._

_"I'm telling you, if you don't let off the newbie Lionel in training, maybe even honorary worthy one day, she's going to book it. You're scary with all that talk of kidnapping." A small, but energetic voice carried through the emotionally warm room. Amy's laugh rang like a bell in her very aristocratic manner, at the small woman's boisterous entry. Amy was designed to be a mother and a lover of the world. The woman who spoke back to her was short and stout compared to the willowy Mrs. Payton Lionel. She looked like she had the energy of a twelve year old packed into the body of an under-matured woman who was trying very hard to be a grown up, but not hard enough that she cared to actually achieve such a status._

_"Tee...Ash, it's so good to see you. Please come in. Get comfortable. I was just getting ready to pull the casserole out. Payton, won't you come cut the turkey please?" He obediently nodded, happy to do so as he cradled Evie on his hip before she wiggled to get down. "Evelyn, go say hello to your aunt and uncle." Amy instructed kindly, but the little girl was already sprinting in their direction. She hit her aunt at full force, who'd bent down to catch her and scoop her up in her arms._

_"Hey there, munchkin!" Tee cheered, tugging lightly on one of Evie's pigtails briefly. "Are you getting shorter these days?"_

_"No, you're the munchkin Aunt Tawney!" Evelyn squealed back energetically. "Hi Uncle Ash." She beamed, waving some, at the man who's demeanor was stoic and unwavering. It was much different beside the lit up and bright faced woman. Even so, a lazy and lopsided smile crossed his face too. He smoothed the scarf that was looped around his neck before fidgeting with the corner of his vest. "Hello Evie."_

_"Are you nervous, Uncle Ash? You don't normally do that here." She said innocently, pointing out his habit and how his compulsion was out of place. Kids, for how young they were, were often more perceptive than adults could be._

_"Oh the mind of a child." He said as a soft blush crept across his lower jaw. Evelyn's words had caught Payton's ears and he slipped around the counter, concerned for his softer yet snarky brother's mind. If he was fussing at a causal gathering among those he considered 'safe', something must truly be wrong as he often was at ease with his family._

_Ash's wife looked his way and he caught her eye. They shared a brief, silent exchange and she looked up to Payton, knowing why he'd arrived. Amy, like on the wind, swept behind her husband, just as light and silent on her feet as a gust. "What's wrong?" She asked, concern laced in her voice._

_Ash nodded to Tee as if giving her an unspoken go ahead to take this question. "You all can congratulate Ashman, he successfully put aside all his germ-a-phobe woes to properly plant the seed. Oh and what a seed it is." She told them energetically, as if she actually were still a middle-schooler. Her energy obviously countering her spouse's mellow, yet snarky, demeanor. "We're pregnant! Well...I am, you know, he really doesn't have to do anything more at this point. What with the serious lack of uterus going on down there. I'm glad though, it was the absence of girly parts that I dug in the first place. Good job on the bailing out after all the ground work is laid though, Ashman. Lazy." She pushed Ash lightly, teasing him with a shining grin._

_"Great." Joey said in a passing blasé. "Because that's what the world needs...more Lionels. You people are like rabbits only without the soft and fluffy parts."_

_Yuki laughed._

"It was a lifetime ago. Before Tee died and Amy...well before Payton sent her away to stay safe. I think they were happy back then. Truly happy...not like now." She told Leo with a little nod. "We were all trying to be like everyone else. Turns out you can't hide from what you really are no matter how hard you try." She leaned forward the rest of the way and pressed her cheek to the tombstone. "You'd be proud right, pops?"

"He would." Leo answered, honestly. "Unless he was a fool and I doubt that." The young leader seemed to understand. He knew, like with most things, people came with histories and stories to tell, most enough to fit novels even if they didn't believe themselves. These three had that much and more. He was reminded that it wasn't easy for anyone to just get by in this life. He and his brothers often forgot that they weren't the only ones who had life troubles. Everyone did, some more than others. It was easy to forget about the outside world, and the people that inhabited it, when they had such little interaction with them. It reminded him of why he did what he did - for people like them with such robust and worthy lives.

"Well, I guess it's my reason to live instead." She told Leo firmly, with conviction. She was unwilling to feel sorry for herself. Her stories had not been told in remorse or with tears at all. Instead they came from the recesses of her heart, as if she had a moment to relive them and remember exactly why she did what she did. "People are going to start moving around the city soon, and unless you want to be my imaginary friend brought to life it might be time to hit up those shadows again." She told him with a cocked off grin.

Leo smiled in return, nodding his head as he stood up. He moved to help her, offering his hand for hers to take. "And maybe, as we walk, I might be able to tell you of how me and my brothers became...well...this." He gestured to himself as she took his hand.

* * *

><p><em>I don't really know what happened that day, but Joey and Leo came back together some time later. After that, he seemed to have more empathy for them all. He never said why, he just seemed to be closer. I don't know why...<em>


	11. Thank Our Unlucky Stars

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>Chapter Nine:  
><span>We Take Our Daily Breath and Thank Our Unlucky Stars<span>

_Raph wasn't getting better and it was starting to scare me. Splinter looked over Ash, which was probably good because of how bad Raph was. He knew it, we all knew it, but no one wanted to talk about it. Especially Raph._

_It also helped because Payton wouldn't have done well looking over Ash. He was like a wild animal for two straight days. Pulled so hard on those chains that Splinter eventually wrapped them in cloth so he stopped digging deeper gouges into his wrists in his mouth frothing, wild withdraw. At least he was getting better, he could talk sort of coherently by the third day._

_But not Raph...Raph had a fever he was faking wasn't there..._

* * *

><p>"I'm fine, Don - stop lookin' at me like that, woud'ja?" Raph growled, sitting upright with the help of thick, rolled pillows against his back. It was certainly a lie as he needed the pillows to stay up at all. Don sighed, shaking his head as he tucked the blanket in a little bit more around Raph's legs. The fact that Raph's skin was visibly lighter - as if he were spooked by a ghost that had stripped of some of his green color. He was even shivering lightly as beads of sweat bubbled against his forehead and threatened to roll down the surface. The wound through his upper right shoulder, where he had been punctured by the thick shaft of the Screamer not so long ago, was angry and red despite every ounce of paste and liquid Payton had used on it. Don was right behind him, asking softly what this was meant to do next and why it wasn't working - if Payton even knew what he was doing as it seemed like nothing was working.<p>

"Yeah, sure you are. You look fine." Don scoffed as he sat back, shaking his head again. He couldn't help but retort in a soft show of elusive contempt. It didn't set well with him that Raph was so sick, and none of them had an answer. Not Don himself, not Master Splinter, not even Payton...it was like he was going to spend the rest of his life this way, for how unwavering the illness seemed to be. "Maybe its a cold, bro - where's the cool yet disgusting mucus, Raph? Let me see your nose. For as peachy sweet as Raph is I bet those snotty boogers are like jell-o." Mikey butted in, flopping down on the couch as he seized Raph's face to peer up into his nostrils. Raph immediately hit him away, pushing him some. In his weaker state, he barely jarred Mikey who merely laughed Raph's clear frustration.

"No, I'm afraid not, Mikey." Payton's voice was soft and gentle when he spoke, though it hardly matched his frazzled face. In fact, he looked maniacal for how little sleep he had been getting. Ash had been placed in a room away from the others while his withdrawal heightened and Payton was effected most by the separation. He was constantly getting in Master Splinter's way, rushing in to check on his brother only to be told by the rat that he was fine...and he ought to go before things got complicated. It didn't help them though, Don figured - it just meant he was slipping up with Raph and the purple turtle was pretty sure this would result in Raph's death if they weren't too careful. The doctor, the only one they knew, who might be able to help was too distraught to think properly. "A cold would be ideal...but this, this isn't a cold. That's too coincidental. What it is, I don't know. It's...like nothing I've ever seen, that's for sure."

The doctor was bent over a series of glass jars, all of them full of different liquids he had been mixing together all afternoon. Don had stopped asking what they were a long time ago - as they had names he had never heard of. Payton tried to explain but, even time, ended up uttering "It's just...well...it's just complicated." Before pouring over them again. Under normal conditions Don would ask further questions and insist that he could handle whatever complicated formulas they were, but with Raph's condition and Payton's assistance in curing it Don tried to stay out of his way.

Don's eyes flickered up and he sighed, frustrated and worried about how badly this was turning out to be - with no answers in sight. "What does that mean, anyhow? Does that mean you can't figure it out?" He asked, looking for an honest answer. Payton was quiet for a moment as he looked down at the bottles, still and silent. The mood in the room had dropped quickly as even Mikey was waiting for a response, one of the highest value, that might mean his brother would live.

"It means that my expertise and knowledge only go so far. What you were injured by, Raph, holds something that...well, most wouldn't believe. Not that they'd believe a walking, talking turtle either." Payton reasoned out loud, picking up one of the vials. He moved to sit next to Raph, carefully picking up his arm and pouring out some of the liquid in a smooth stream. "Vampires, they're not necessarily human...they're fantastical, supernatural if you will...part of an entire world hidden underneath this one. Our world - not yours, mine and Joey's." He offered softly still, his eyes trained on Raph's wound. He couldn't see the tears actually forming, involuntarily, in Raph's eyes as it was clear he was biting back pain. "So I have to fight it - the so called magical components of the Screamer - with components of my own. Only...well...magic, its tricky. It doesn't always play by the rules, and the rules it does follow are mostly blurry around the edges."

Mikey's eyes were glued on Payton, wide and somewhat confused but certainly interested in what he was saying. "So...you're like a wizard, then? Huh? With a wand and all that stuff? You're doing magic on Raph? Like Harry Potter!"

Payton paused for a second, his eyes flickering up. He almost seemed amused. "Not quite - it's not that simple. And we don't really prefer to be called wizards...it's demeaning, like a story book with bulbous noses and ill intent. Or even long gray hair and a pointy hat. But in some ways yes. Because what hurt Raph was magic so...to fight it, it requires the same strength. Only sometimes it works and other times, its like fighting fire with more fire." Don frowned deeply - he didn't like these possibilities. It was only when he heard the fourth voice that he realized Leo had slipped into the room too, his hearting and attention impeccable when the subject matter had to do with his family.

"Well, what was done with others who were hurt like this before? You can't tell us Raph is the first whose been hit by one of these things. You said they're thousands of years old...their customs too, yes? Why not just do what they did before?" Leo offered, his eyes narrowed in on Raph who was strangely quiet, mostly uncomfortable and still biting back a whimper, admirably as it sounded more like a growl, while Payton cleaned through the wound.

"Well...because no one has ever survived a Screamer like this." Payton confessed softly. "Most die pretty soon after being attacked...within minutes. Not that I know of at least."

"What!" Casey interjected, jumping forward some as he too had been listening with rapt attention. "You're not going to let my pal die, are you doc? Because you can't, you're supposed to save him. What good are you if you don't? You're a doctor, and the good kind even. Come on - it's just a paper cut, right Raph? He'll be fine - Raph?" Casey frowned as the turtle didn't answer, even with a clever little quip about how he'd be better if they'd all just shut their traps.

"Hey, knock it off and look at me." It was Joey that cut in this time, having only just entered as she shut the door to the room Ash occupied with Master Splinter. She swept forward and slapped the vial out of Payton's hand with a swift swat, catching the doctor off guard. It slipped from his hands and hit the damp floor. It splintered into hundreds of tiny pieces while liquid oozed from the shards. "It's not working. Whatever you're doing isn't helping, it's only hurting him further." Joey swallowed hard, seemingly unfazed by the others as her focus was solely on Payton. "It's time to suck it up and call in reinforcements because you clearly can't handle this one." She seemed a little jarred too, like she'd been waiting for this moment for some time - giving Payton his shot.

"What reinforcements?" Leo questioned, not at all willing to take a back burner to his brother's well being. In fact, he was already anxious about the fact that he was putting so much trust into the hands of people he was only just learning. If it was Don that had the answers, he would feel better about waiting for his brother to make a judgment call. But these two, and three with Ash, were strangers. Strange enough that he felt uneasy about giving them so much control over Raph's health, but he also knew he had to give Raph the best treatment. And where they had no answers, Payton and Joey at least had some understanding that they didn't. Leo had to lead them to people they could trust and he was hoping he had done that rather than putting them in a situation where they were already sinking. In that case, he needed an escape route too - a way to grab onto the ledge and pull them back up before they were in over their heads.

But he was worried they were cutting it too close.

Payton looked up to Leo's question He still looked tired and worn, particularly from their questions and obvious worry. Not to mention his lack of answers about Raph's well being. He was going on very little sleep and worry that couldn't easily be dissolved. It was a worry that Leo shared, as his brother was also on a decline. Payton appeared to be considering Joey's words before he answered Leo's. "No. He won't help." Payton finally answered, shaking his head as he blotted lightly to Raph's arm. The turtle's head had fallen back a little against the couch as he let out a sigh, clearly relieved some by the liquid being gone. "Nothing, she's speaking from inexperience." He told Leo.

"I told this man his brother would be fine because that was **_your _**diagnosis." Joey snapped, gesturing to Leo when she referred to him. "I'm not about to let you make a liar out of me. Now it's time to suck up your pride and accept that maybe your brand of doctoring isn't the only kind that can help him. He's suffering from a magical wound caused by a cursed vampire weapon. It's time to accept that maybe traditional medicine might not work, not even traditional magic medicine. He'll come. If we ask him. I'll ask him. A natural healer. He can slow whatever the hell is happening to Raph, enough for us to find an actual answer and cure." She turned to Leo and spoke to him directly. It worried Leo too as he was uncomfortable exposing them to even more people - it was already enough that Joey and Payton and Ash knew who they were, on top of the vampires having seen them. It was beginning to be too much.

His eyes flickered to Raph and for a moment, he caught his pale and sickly face. If it would mean Raph could be helped, healed even, then maybe it was their only option. Leo straightened in his spot and turned back to Joey, listening to her still as she spoke.

"I have a feeling whatever's happening to him has to do with whatever is written on that ascot, which I can't read. It's not in any language I've ever seen. Now, I'm not exactly a linguist, but I know these monsters and their normal communication. I suspect this was a spell. That's why he's not getting better. I'm going to take it with me and check some other sources, people who I know can help. In the meantime, I'll send Shiki. Yoshiki Yamada. He's a friend, a trustworthy one." She explained to Leo, though Payton was still sitting right there, the others quiet and listening too. If anyone would make this call for them, agree to this, it would be Leo. "In the meantime, I'm going to try and get to the bottom of this." She held up the fabric, waving it some as if to further indicate her meaning.

"Wait." Leo called after her as she was already moving to leave the sewer lair. He didn't like the sound of this, the fact that she might be leaving with the one thing that had an answer to what was wrong with Raph. And, more importantly, that she was the only one of them that knew vampires as much as she did. With her she took the answer and knowledge they may need. "Where are you going?"

She turned back to him, an eyebrow raised at his inquiry. She offered him a lazy shrug, her coat collar coming up some to rub against her cheek. "I have some ideas. Don't sweat it. Just keep him alive until I get back. I'm sure that between Payton and Shiki, it'll happen. He'll be bitching with his full potential in no time." Raph growled some from his spot, clearly sicker from whatever Payton had done as he was having trouble keeping his head up right. But he had heard Joey and wasn't too pleased with her teasing.

"Stop!" Leo snapped at her, his eyes catching her first before he looked to Raph. "For just a minute." He was flustered with how little she allowed him to get in a word edgewise, having already made all the decisions by herself without any additional input. Clearly she was used to calling her own shots and relying on no one but herself, however that wasn't going to cut it for Leo. Not when the fate of his family resided on the scrap of cloth in her hand. His brother was dying and he had a duty to save him, to do whatever he could to keep him alive. Idling sitting by while he passed off that responsibility to some one else was not part of Leo's agenda. In fact, he was determined in his decision as he already knew the lengths he would go to keep his family, his brother, safe. No matter what danger that put him in as he knew, without a doubt, this could be dangerous.

"I'm going with you." He said simply. "If my brother's life relies on that, there's no way I'm going to let you go with it - unprotected." Leo told her, dead set on it. It was worth leaving his brothers here if he could get the answers. Don and Mikey, he was sure, could manage on their own...Don would be smart about what they did and Mikey would follow orders if given enough direction. They could keep safe - Leo did no good to them if he was just waiting for the answers. As their leader, as their protector even, he felt as if he had more than just the duty or responsibility, but the obligation, to go and get the answers for them himself.

"Oh no, hot shot - you'll just slow me down." She told him in a sly bite that came with a coy little smile as if she were taunting him. It momentarily sent a pang of aggravation through him, as if he truly took offense to her words for how sincerely she meant them and how absolute his resolve was. Where she wasn't taking him seriously, Leo was so serious, it didn't sit well with him that she seemed to be mocking him. "And who said I'm not protected? I can hold my own."

"And your arrogance is going to be your undoing. And in that, you'll be the reason my brother dies. I won't have it. Now we can argue it all day, and I'll follow you anyway or you can let me come along openly and perhaps we can work together in getting the solution. If Raph's fate is in your hands, literally, I'm not going to sit idly by." It was truth too - Leo couldn't imagine being cooped up in the lair while Raph got worse and worse, regardless of how much Joey said this natural healer could help.

"Come on Joey...please?" Mikey pleaded. Nightmares still plagued the free-spirited Michelangelo, from the things he'd bore witness to in the vampire club. She felt bad and partly, if not wholly, responsible for the horrors he'd witness. That was part of why her knee jerk reaction had been 'no', even if she said it differently than she did to Leo right then. But the last thing she wanted was to bring him along, into something that might pan out as badly as their last adventure had. Mikey, however, seemed to have ultimate faith in Leo and in the fact that his being there would mean that Raph would, indeed, recover.

She reached forward, softening only slightly, a genuine smile even fluttered across her lips momentarily, as she placed a hand on Mikey's shoulder. She gave him a little nod and then jerked her head toward the door. "Well come on hot shot, we haven't got all day. I'll send Shiki." She said in general as she let her hand slip from Mikey's shoulder and stalked off toward the door.

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><p><em>I'm not going to lie. I was scared. It was like everything just kept getting worse and worse. When he showed up, Shiki, just like Joey said, things got a little better. But only because he seemed to know how to treat Raph. But Raph's health wasn't the only thing on our minds after Leo left.<em>

_Everyone got a little antsy without him being there, even me. And Joey, she knew a lot about those fanged bastards. She wasn't kidding about society and culture and all that mumbo-jumbo; cuz we ended up right in the middle of a freaking war. It was like the Purple Dragons and the Foot decided to duke it out all old fashion style, only this time it was with those monsters. And guess what? Yep, we were right in the middle of it because the thing that started the war...we saw..._

_I wish I'd never seen that dead body...I wish I'd never chased that criminal. There was a million others Raph and me could of stumbled on. But we had to stumble on that one. The one that ran us into that alley. I don't wish I would have taken back what I did though, what got me here. I'm not sorry about that._

_I was trying to help Raph. I just hope he's okay..._

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><p><strong>::Author's Note::<strong>

We have been considering many things about this story and would appreciate your feedback. Are the chapters too long? Is that discouraging the reading of this story...is it content? We certainly welcome constructive feedback of all sorts. We would really just love to hear what you think, should anyone be following along with this piece. We certainly appreciate each and everyone of you who takes the time to read this particular piece and visits for new updates. We just hope we're meeting everyone's expectations and standards. Again, thank you for making it this far with us. We do appreciate your support.

- Stoic and Harley


	12. I Feel a Miracle in Every Breath

**::Author's Note::  
><strong>_Yes, we give you another front loading author's note. Rare indeed. This one is only here to ask, please, that you fasten your seat belts, keep you arms and hands in the vehicle at all times and please...leave your preconceived notions at the door._

_Thank you,_  
><em>- Stoic and Harley<em>

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><p><strong>Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets<strong>

Chapter Ten:  
><span>I Feel a Miracle in Every Breath that I Breathe<span>

_Leo went with Joey, hoping to find the answer. I wish I went with them. I might have had a better understanding of what that damn piece of cloth meant. I wouldn't be here, that's for sure. I didn't know what they did or where they went but it was weird when we got word from Leo and he said he wasn't in New York anymore..._

* * *

><p>"What are we doing?" Leo asked firmly, pointed in the fact that he wanted more answers to their direction. He had been following Joey for the better part of the day and, as it stood, they were in a field. It was open, with sky above and grass stretching on either side. The exposure was what made Leo the most uncomfortable, though he noted the lack of hiding places as a good thing. It meant that there was less chance of an attack, should danger be trailing them. Leo had been disguised in clothes again, a large coat covering his bulky body while a hat hid his face in shadows - the night before. The cover of darkness seemed to help too, though the taxi driver didn't pay them much mind either. There was no doubt he had enough customers in a day - enough to be weirded out by - that he was mostly numb and going about the motions, expecting money in exchange for travel. They'd only gone so far in the car before being dropped off, by Joey's insistence, and continuing their journey on foot. Leo couldn't be sure where they were exactly, but it had to be upstate somewhere for how much time and distance seemed to lapse. There was nothing, as far as the eye could see, save tall grass and the occasionally passing shadow from a cloud crossing the horizon and blocking out the sun's rays.<p>

Joey had stopped and sat with her legs tucked under her. She leaned over and ran her finger in the dirt, raking lines through it. "I'm working. What are you doing?" She looked over at him and offered a snide little smirk, almost taunting. Leo's eyes grew wide, almost questioning, as he buried his hands into his pockets.

"That doesn't look like work to me. Can you tell me what sort of work you're doing?" Leo was trying to be patient, civil, as it was one of his strong suits, it was one of the reasons he was a capable leader to his otherwise unorganized brothers. Without him, Leo figured Mikey would have no direction, Raph would be out of control, and Don would be overwhelmed and withdrawn. His patience was their greatest weapon, greater than any tangible sword or staff, that brought them success in every battle they pursued. Even his innate understanding and patience was wearing thin. It was entirely because his mind was on Raph and his well being. He was God-only-knew how many miles away now while his brother died at the hands of some magic he had no real understanding of...and Joey - who promised answers - was playing in the dirt. Even Leo could only keep his composure for so long.

She sat back on her heels and turned to face him, a challenging eyebrow raised. "Come here." She said, waving him forward. Leo hesitated, standing firmly in his spot for a moment - he wasn't too sure of what she was trying to do. It wasn't that he didn't trust her judgment or her motives, he was fairly certain she was there to actually help them. It was the fact that she was asking him to stop moving and sit; Leo's initial instinct was to tell her no, that they had to continue moving to whatever person or tangible being could actually give them perspective. "Well come on." She urged him, her sharp edge had faded and she was somewhat soft as she gently patted the ground next to her. "Your master isn't the only one who can teach you things Leo."

The turtle yielded at her words a moment later, Joey having coaxed him with the promise of knowledge. He was certainly a student of life and wouldn't pass up the chance at learning more. His knee jerk hope was for them to find someone to give them all the answers, to read the ascot and fix it for them. He knew, however, from experience, that things weren't that easy - solutions didn't just come to fruition on their own, they required work. And he knew, for all he had to learn about this world they had stumbled on, there were parts he wasn't going to expect or fully understand without being a part of it. He conceded, after his first decision to refrain from telling her no, because he had realized that maybe he needed to stop and do this Joey's way...whatever way that was. After all, what she had for him to learn - if she had something for him to learn at all - may have something to do with Raph and his recovery. Or at least getting to the answer of said malady.

He bent down and knelt next to her, careful to not disrupt her dirt as he wondered now if that had had purpose. By the angle of the sun, he could only assume that it was coming up on midday, perhaps eleven in the morning. He didn't often feel the warmth of the sun on his skin, not this openly and it felt nice right then. In fact, it was comfortable and addicting for the way it made his skin tingle and his body relax. He and his brothers were meant to soak up the sun, to let the rays settle in their body and give them energy. It was their nature - being mutants in a human world - that kept them from actually indulging in such a luxury. They were far from anything, anyone, and for a second he felt like he was in Japan again for the calm serenity that covered the field. Leo almost - _almost_- felt guilty for stealing the sun while his brother was dying.

"You've been to Japan?" He stated and asked all at once; it was part out of his curiosity as he knew Yuki was Japanese, both for his features and the language he had spoken before he died. The other part came from his memory of Japan, and how striking their environment now reminded him of the serene countryside. He missed them for their beauty, for their inspiration. Leo didn't hate living in New York, or even in the under belly of the city - but he certainly preferred Japan's culture over his own as it lent more to his honor, bravery and sense of duty.

"Hai." She responded in agreement - the single word in Japanese went with the simple bow she offered him. Leo smiled softly, the word sounded perfectly delicate on her lips. The language had always intrigued him as there was something inherently beautiful about it. Their lack of hard syllables made it sound almost song like, moving in the cool breeze that just barely ruffled trees. "I lived there for many months, almost a year in fact. Some of them I wanted to...the others, not so much. But I love Japan itself, there is something special about it. I used to call it 'the Motherland' for Yuki." She smiled back at him, instantly wiping away Leo's moment of glee with her words.

"I killed him." He sounded apologetic. "I killed your fiancé. I'm sorry, Joey..." Leo offered softly, bowing his head in disapproval of his own actions. He was not murderer, he cared for people and did everything he could to protect them. At all costs, Joey included. People were meant to live, even those with questionable intentions deserved a second chance. Though he had done it to save them all, he felt guilt and shame for having blood on the blades of his katana.

"Oh no Leo, we talked about this already. He was dead long before you did what you did. I have no animosity toward you for it." Joey consoled him, her voice soft and gentle - it was so unlike the coarse woman who spoke when they had met. To Leo, however, it sounded genuine in a way her roughness never could - she seemed to truly care. "I would have been disappointed if you let someone else's blood spill instead of his already stolen blood. If anyone had to die that night, it was him."

Leo frowned, his eyes still on the grass. He touched it lightly with his fingers, feeling the blades softly tickle the pads of his fingertips. It was so foreign to him, he drank in its special beauty as he had no idea when he would see and feel grass like this again. "Then why do you test me so?" He begged for an answer then, confused by her meaning and how it matched with how she frustrated him. "Why are you so difficult if not because I took something from you?"

She looked his way and offered a genuine smile. Clearly it happened without her knowledge or control as it reached her eyes, lighting up like the brightest of bulbs. "Oh man, you're funny. It's not you, hot shot. I do that to everyone. I like to push people, I get something from it. I feel like I can see who they really are...how patient, what their real intentions are, anything at all in the form of a reaction. The emotion it makes people feel, that's my fuel. My magic, if you will. I have nothing against you. I mean I think some of the stuff you did was dumb, a little reckless, but brave. You care a lot about your brothers, I can see it and well...I'm glad. Someone needs to care like that." She told him sincerely, shrugging her shoulder some. Leo was quiet at her answer, considering her words. He didn't know that his caring was paying off much as he'd hoped as they were still in this mess.

"I care too, for what its worth." Leo's eyes snapped up when Joey spoke again, this time quiet enough that it could be missed. If it weren't for the countryside, it would be likely to have been lost in the wind or voices of strangers passing by. But the stillness of the grass and air around them made it so Leo heard it as if she were shouting at him. "I'm not doing this to save my own skin - I'm always a target as is. It's worth being the enemy to those monsters when I get to see people like Ash live their lives, addiction free. When I get to help someone like Raph heal from their wrath...I'm really just trying to help, Leo. And I think I can too."

Leo nodded his head, her words sincere enough to warm and comfort his heart. "Thank you." He answered simply, letting silence envelope them for a moment as thoughts flowed through his head. It was the serenity around them, the eerie calm despite the hellish storm they left behind, that Leo kept coming back to. He found himself smitten with the safe haven this place felt like. It could almost lull him into a false sense of security.

"For the months you were there that you enjoyed it, that you chose to live there, what did you find you loved about it?" He asked, truly curious. Raph hadn't left his mind, quite the opposite. It was Joey's words of honesty that struck him - he didn't know her like he thought he did. Sure, he knew of Yuki and he knew of her freeing of blood dolls from vampire dens. It was Joey herself he didn't know and he was stuck by how much he wanted to learn more of his traveling companion. The more he learned of her heart underneath that thicker outer shell, the more he felt connected. He too had a thick shell - figuratively and in reality. As much as he craved to have someone understand what lurked underneath, he wanted to learn more of what was beyond her protective covering as well. It certainly couldn't hurt as, right then, every bit of information was an advantage - if he knew more of her, he would of her world and thus what they had gotten thrown into.

"You've been." She stated. Leo blinked hard, surprised by her words. He had not told her that before, at least not that he could recall in their few interactions. But before he could ask how she knew, she went on. "So you tell me. I think you'll find that our answers are the same. I found peace there. Sora ga mi - sky watching as they call it. Nothing is more beautiful than the stretch of blue that lingers over Japan behind Mount Fuji. I learned to slow down, but it seems to be exclusive to the culture as here I'm back to chasing my tail. I think you understand." She told him.

Leo bowed his head some - she was right. It was odd to him - not uncomfortable, but an oddly good feeling - to have her so in tune with what he was thinking and feeling right then. He couldn't fathom how she knew...but it didn't scare him. Instead, he felt understood for something he had never really been before. He knew what she meant when she said the culture gave her the chance to slow herself - he too felt the same about the island and his city. They were drastically different for his soul, but both equally as necessary for the inherent balance Leo always strove for.

"I needed good shadows." She looked over at him, as if answering a question he hadn't asked. Or perhaps he had, in some way, when he had asked what she was doing that qualified as work. But Leo had momentarily forgotten about that discussion, wrapped up in the good feelings, and found himself slower to catch up to her words. "That's why we're here. Don't look so surprised." She told him sharply, playfully and nodded down to the black blob on the ground that vaguely resembled him, attached to his leg. Leo glanced at his translucent clone and then back to her, confusion lined his face, but no words came right away.

"Are you a...well...I'm not sure what to call them as Payton said it was offensive to call it 'wizard'. I don't mean to offend. But...are you?" Leo asked, hesitant as he didn't want to insult her should she find that word derogatory. He didn't understand why that was the case, or what exactly Payton's description of magic entailed. It was just magic and Leo figured he couldn't question much of their lifestyle. For all the things he had seen, he had learned it was naive and ignorant to imagine anything was impossible. Everything that could be imagined, at least for Leo, could exist...including magic. After all he'd been launched into space, visited a nexus between worlds and even had contact with aliens of many sorts; not to mention one of the few people he respected as much as his sensei was from an alternate dimension and came in the form of a samurai rabbit. Never mind that he, himself, was a walking talking turtle. It was his saving grace as it gave him the ability to trust what they said; he had no other option. Leo was not an impolite sort, not when he could avoid it at least.

Joey's head snapped up to look at Leo and she laughed, openly. She seemed half amused and half surprised, her eyes bigger in disbelief. "Uh...no. No, I'm not even close to that. He told you about that?" She narrowed her eyes at him, a little stunned too by Payton's admittance.

"Not that you were one, simply that he had to fight magic with magic. He said Raph's wound originated there and what he was doing was magical in nature too. He's...well...whatever is more apropos to call them, yes?" Leo spoke quickly, perhaps too quickly, as if he were trying to cover a blunder he wasn't sure he committed. He almost wondered if he had gotten it wrong and misheard Payton, what with Joey's disbelief.

"They prefer mage." She explained a moment later, after her chuckle had subsided. "It's gender neutral and progressive. Wizard sounds old and archaic - they aren't a part of that society anymore. It sounds stupidly popular like some blockbuster summer movie, with wands and chores made easy because of magic. It's not glamorous and hardly fun; its a burden to carry such a huge secret every day. All that comes with those that know how to use magic is death and pain. We aren't living the life of luxury because of our knowledge...we're living one of despair as we have to hide everything we are from those that couldn't possibly understand."

It sounded familiar to Leo, enough to make his skin bristle in shivers for the parallels. It was like she had reached directly into his soul and plucked out the pieces of his family that seemed to be ever present. Nothing about what they did was glamorous, a life many would choose to have. Being a ninja was dangerous, sometimes deadly and most certainly populated with trials that they feared they might not pass. It was full of blood and guts, sweat and tears, and not nearly the excitement society and culture would have people believe. Adding in that they were mutants further detracted from the allure of the populous. Where she spoke of hiding and the pains of carrying such a secret, having to hide everything they were, struck home for Leo. His entire life was spent hiding and as much as he enjoyed helping those he could beyond his four walls, a part of him would always crave the world beyond. He would always be interested in that which couldn't understand or accept him, much like Joey spoke of magic users.

"Do you know of magic though?" He asked, feeling ridiculous for even asking. He could think of no other word to use or way to explain what he was trying to say. Leo wanted desperately for her to understand him, for their worlds to converge and to get each other in ways that might not happen on a normal basis. It was now growing clearer to him that they were special, different - but special for it and this must be what she meant when she softened only long enough to tell him that he wasn't strange to her several night before.

"Yes." Joey seemed somber, as if she were plagued by what he was asking. For a moment, he felt guilty, as if this burden of knowledge and hardship was one he placed upon her shoulders himself. "I know of it. I'll try and explain the best I can. But know it's like trying to describe the color red to a blind man. Think about that - when you have no basis to use as an example, how do you even begin? Red is just red...what more can you tell them?" She shrugged. "You're the blind man and I'm the one trying to tell you about how awesome the color red it - or, in this case, how terrifying."

Leo could appreciate that much, so much so he encouraged her with a small nod of his head. He had trouble with what they were and their origins in the same way. It could be explained scientifically, yes, and Donnie would do everything in his power to do so. Part of Leo, however, was certain there was more to it than just that - it was a matter of _why_this happened to them, why the universe itself picked them for this gift, or burden depending on how he looked at it. A view that changed based on the day and what trials he'd had in that particular one. Those questions could never be answered and he mostly had to just accept that things were as they were just because. And Leo was certainly capable of doing that, Don, perhaps was not as eager to merely accept their existence as a miracle.

"Magic comes from somewhere. It's not just born from nothing. It's real and tangible, for me at least. It can be smelt, touched...even tasted. It starts with belief. It exists everywhere all at once, in the combined subconscious of everyone; living and breathing. Even animals, though we don't consider ourselves on the same level, have some belief that fuels magic. They do dream after all. Its very base is belief. Mages channel that belief…vampires feed from it…others live in harmony and protect it. Fae..._are_it." She paused as if to let him digest what she'd said. Leo was silent, considering her words. He wanted to understand. He could take her words and understand them exactly as what they were. He couldn't, however, fully comprehend how belief created such magic. A firm expression was etched on his green face under the hat. She reached over and swept the hat off, giving his face a chance to be exposed to the sun, like his arms, where the coat had been dismissed in the grass next to him. Now Leo was sitting with nothing inhibiting...much like Joey herself was exposed emotionally, he figured. They were both raw in that moment and he was oddly comfortable with it.

"We are part of that belief and we are magic. Raw, untapped and unchanged magic. But, we're inherently - simultaneously - screwed for it. Because that means we have to count on you believing for us to live. It's not mages or vampires or the others that dictate our lives, our existence - they already know it's real, its how they can manipulate it. They're the ones changing it. It's people like you that we count on; mundanes, mortals. The majority- whatever name you want to call them - that feed our existence. And without fae, magic would die. You can dream all day and believe too, but without creatures who can exist between the real world and the magic one, there's no way to translate that magic. Payton couldn't do a damn thing he does and those vampires...yeah, there wouldn't be a single one surviving. It's like trying to bake a cake without flour. You can know the recipe all day and repeat it until you're blue in the face, but without the main ingredient you aren't going to bake a cake. What you get is chaos that can't be salvaged in any way. Without fae, my kind, there's no way to access it.

"Vampires would wither and die, mages would not be able to channel magic through the barrier and don't even get me started on the others. We need you, and more than that - the human population, in order to do what we do."

Leo was slightly horrified in that moment, mostly because he knew people on the whole. He served them day in and day out - he and his brothers were truly vigilantes within the city. He wasn't like Raph, angered and bitter by the lack of gratitude for their work. Leo was, however, often saddened by the majority's inability to feel compassion for that which stepped out of the norm. They weren't normal...he knew that. It didn't make them freaks, but people would think so should they be exposed to the overlarge, mutated turtles. If Joey's magic was based on belief in something unreal, something out of the normal...he couldn't imagine how it survived at all. "But when most are so unwilling to believe...so incapable...then what?"

Joey smiled softly, a little relived by his question. "Fortunately, children will always believe. They believe in unicorns and Santa and...most important...faeries. Us. As long as there are children, there will be magic. But the sooner we steal childhood from them, the more our kind dwindles. It sucks. A kid still playing pretend past the 'normal' age doesn't need to be seen by a doctor...because what they see is real, the adults are the ones blinded. They've forgotten. That imaginary friend they have is as real as I sit before you. Drop Dead Fred wasn't just a movie for us, he was a legend. And I've met my fair share of Lost Boys. Rarely, very – very rarely, can adults channel their creativity like a child can. When they 'play' like they are pirates or princesses or superheroes...its not play, its real for them. It's real for me too.

"You're a rare exception, Leo. Because you understand the impossible in ways most can't. Musicians and artists...they help fuel it, ones who thrive on creative expression and aren't entirely robbed of imagination. Stripped and rape of that which makes them unique and not just some suit, nose to the ground - grind, day in and day out, forty hours a week, with nothing more to look forward to than one, measly week a year away from that existence. Try and get them to remember that a rainbow is cool and that they should stop and admire the amazing world they're living in simply because it exists. You, however, have seen that which can't exist by normal standards and therefore your suspension of disbelief is more powerful than any mere mundane. I'm impressed." She offered him a soft lazy clap though there was smirk on her face. "But seriously, I appreciate it too. You being this close to me, if you didn't believe, could kill me."

Leo's head dipped down, in slight confusion. Though he wasn't sure if questioning her was the ideal thing to do right then. If he understood her words properly, a question of her explanation would be a form of disbelief...exactly that which drained her magic. It was paradoxical in nature as he had to believe that which he couldn't understand as he couldn't ask questions. The second he started to question, the less sense it would make. "What?" He asked as simply as he could without breaking the barrier of belief, in what he wasn't sure he understood. He was curious if he would ever even scratch the surface of the color red or taste the cake she spoke of. Perhaps this conversation was cut out for Raph, who might better identify with his inherent color of choice.

"Well my body, the human part would remain, but the magic in me would wither and die. I'm holding onto an existence that's dying every second of the day. The older I get, the more I too am influenced by my mortality and my humanity. It's a screwed up perspective. I don't know why I don't just let it go now and save myself the pain. Well, no – I totally do. I do because I like magic. And I don't want to lose it. Losing my magic is a hell of a lot scarier than living with it. I know many of my people who let it go because it's too much to hold onto, but that's bullshit. This isn't a burden no matter how much it leads me nearer to my death, it's a gift."

"But…how?" Leo asked quietly; it was as if he was the child and she the teacher, sitting before him and telling him everything he could possibly need to know. There was curiosity to each question he asked as he truly wished to know what sort of magic she was. In that, he could better understand how to protect her...both from dangers and himself as he seemed to be a threat too. "How is that possible?"

"We aren't born as fae. Well, we are, however there are many people who have fae spirits that never come out. They live forever sleeping with their human host. We need a body to live here now, that much raw magic can't manifest itself in a way humanity can understand and therefore can't exist without a facade. There was a time that fae didn't need humans to survive in the world. It was long before science ruled and industry stole children and put them in factories before they could make coherent sentences. Gone was the art of craftsman ship and everything was packaged and sold in bundles, losing the human - and magical - touch. It was when people still believed in superstitions and in old wives tales, before modern medicine and exploratory logic. Once people started getting logical and started finding answers for everything, my people started to _drop fucking dead_. The mere mystery of life was something we thrived on; no one asked questions. We retreated into the place we were safe, that place between reality and non existence. So I'm told that is - its all legend too, but unlike mankind, we don't have interest in finding out for certain. It's the place between awake and asleep. Dreams are where nothing is inhibited, where magic is exactly as it should be. Only there it has no name. I needs no name. That is where our lives are the strongest, where we live comfortably - our home. We are on an alien world here. People believe in dreams. All their inhibitions are released and they are nothing more than creative minds.

"Why does everything need an answer? Why? Why do people ask that? It's retarded. Something should just be a mystery and accepted as a miracle. It's that blind belief that feeds my people and is humanity's nature, the need for reason answers, which kills it. Why do you have to know why the sky is blue? Why do you need to know how babies are made at the cellular level? Why do you need to explain how it feels to fall in love? Why can't you just accept that it happens and that any of those things are phenomenal simply because they are?" Joey's cheeks had grown flush in her passion; it was hardly directed at Leo but at the world in a whole as she spoke of the subject. Leo felt almost guilty for his own mortality. Despite being as he was, he was sure he didn't see the world the way Joey did...and he had to accept that. If his acceptance in that could fuel his acceptance in magic, he would be ten steps ahead of the banal majority that destroyed such miracles.

"The point is that some time ago, before the industrial revolution, before science exploded, my people lived in the world, free of this destructive shell." She gestured to her body. "However, after that time, the only way for us to exist here, as we couldn't do it in our natural form, we had to share a body with a human host. Our spirits are there from conception, sleeping in the human body. It takes something traumatic, tragic or amazing, to break the fae's safe cocoon and let them be born in the human body. It's a symbiotic relationship, but sick at the same time. Its human banality that destroys us. I'm housed in a human shell. This body is killing my soul every second of the day; but it's the only way I can live here – in the real world and not just in someone's dream. This world is killing me. I have to interface with people who don't believe in dreams, or magic, or miracles everyday. Everyday that eats away at my existence, the who I am part. I hate it. I fight for it- each of does. It's totally fucked."

Leo let his head rise and he glanced over at her, a frown on his lips. The cynicism he heard in her voice, the almost bitterness that came from her distaste for her confinements, worried him; but he certainly understood her better. That sort of hate for what she was could turn into something destructive, he was sure of it. He didn't hate who he was - it confused him some days, and others he was proud. But he certainly wasn't bitter for the so called shell that housed his own spirit. At their bases, they were the same...the outside appearance meant nothing when, inside, they were still souls with emotions; desires and goals and sadness. Hopes and dreams. He, in fact, had an advantage as his body reflected what her spirit seemed to crave, something outside of normalcy. "No. No it's not. It's a miracle, right?" He asked with solid conviction. "It's what you said earlier. It doesn't need reason to be as it is. It simply is. Like the color blue, for example." He offered her a terse smile, as if changing her meaning initially from the example of red as he preferred the more serene, calm tone. He didn't completely understand, not on the deep levels she must experience, but certainly on the surface her words made sense.

"Yeah, I guess it is." She almost sounded relieved as her eyes lifted to meet his. "It's like color in general. We name things by that, but who decides that this is green..." she reached out and ran her fingers along one of the blades of grass. She then reached over and drew her index finger across the back of his hand, "And so is this. Who makes up these rules? What makes them both green, despite being so different? Why can't we just accept that it is, instead of worrying about why its so?"

For that Leo had no answer - he knew they were called such colors, but the whys were something he didn't know. His mind was bent enough by what she claimed to be and what he was afraid to ask her to prove, lest it destroy what she said. She nodded to his shadow again. "What do you see?" He looked over his shoulder to where she had gestured, but he had no answer as he wasn't even sure what she was referring to. "Grass, a field? Those imaginary friends you spoke of? What do you see that I don't, Joey?"

"No," She said inching closer to him, a gentle smile on her lips. She caught his jaw between her fingers and turned his head to look down at the gray blob on the ground. It was distorted by the grass, but created by the sun just barely peaking out from behind the puffy white clouds painted in the sky. "What do you see there?" She pointed explicitly at his reflection, cast by the sun. He hesitated, as he looked at the vague shape of himself. No words came as he had no answer he found suitable. "Because I see you being cautious...putting me and my words at a distance. Arms folded over your chest, tapping your foot, closed off from the world. I need you to talk to me Leo, and it better be what's up here." She reached up and tapped on his skull lightly. "That's what I want to hear, not what you think you need to say. It matters more that you believe in your own words. My magic manifested in shadows and their power, their secrets. You have no idea what I've seen in yours over the last few days - what it's told me. What _you've_told me through it. I've exposed myself fully to you; nothing I've said or done is hiding any part of me. I told you, when we visited my father, that nothing can hide in the shadows from me. I mean that. I see it all. But that also means your intent. You believe, that much is sure as your shadow might as well be holding a billboard for me - Donnie, he's another story, but it's you I'm concerned about right now. You're conflicted with your belief and I need to know why because I'm about to ask something of you...something huge and before I do, I need you to trust me."

"Ash..." Leo seemed to suddenly realize something as the cogs in his brain were moving slowly. He could recall everything that had transpired in the last few days, and was picking out the parts he had ignored before only to find value in them now. "He said _we don't have time for that_. When you first walked in the door, he jerked you away from something. You were staring at the ground, where we were. You were spying on us? On our shadows?"

"I only see intent. You'd be surprised how many people lie and their true belief or thoughts scream in their shadows just to be heard. It's as if their subconscious minds feel guilty for their lying tongues." Joey seemed momentarily disgusted by humanity. "But you were strangers. I might know you and your purpose a little more than you know mine, without just believing me. It's automatic for me, like reading a smile as opposed to a frown on a new person's face, but better than me just picking my judgment out of thin air, huh?" She smirked. "Because let me tell you what, I would have liked to throw you out that window myself for how horrible you were that night."

"Me?" Leo snapped before he could stop himself, affronted as he recalled very well how he would have preferred to chuck her out the window himself for how obstinate she was, never mind the descent into the sewers. When his head jerked out of her hand to snap in her direction, he found her smiling brightly. His own eyes narrowed a little. There was some measure of annoyance in how he'd been suckered right then, feeding into her taunting to earn those random emotions she'd mentioned earlier. He wondered swiftly if those sort of emotions fed the spirit, and that's what she meant, the magic one she spoke of. Her pushing and teasing, from the get go, seemed to have more purpose than every before - it gave her strength. "Well you weren't exactly agreeable either. I think I have bruises still."

"It was a rough situation." Joey shrugged nonchalantly. "What did you expect me to do? You dragged me into the sewers. Some would call it kidnapping, but I'll let it slide this time." She pointed out. "Alligators!" She made a gesture with her hand that vaguely resembled the chomping mouth of one of the scaly beasts, her finger interlocking swiftly in a few quick jabs.

He snorted and almost laughed at how ridiculous she looked and sounded. "I can't believe you're actually afraid of alligators. It's just an animal. For all the things you see, you'd think that'd be low on your list of scary"

"Dude, for real? Don't judge." She snapped at him as if scolding and defending all on the same breath. "I have nightmares about them. Remember how this works, belief fuels reality. They're real for me...those stories my dad told me as a kid about alligators in the sewer, just to keep me from playing around in them. Yeah...bad idea, pops. I can't shake it."

Leo logged it away and tried not to laugh. He thought of Leatherhead and how keeping Joey away from him, unless they all wanted to be a mass of bruises, should she turn into a Tasmanian devil in her wild attempt to escape. The thought almost made him snicker, if the situation around them weren't still so grave. It was positively absurd. That, however, he figured was fae magic - the absurd and harder to believe were more real than anything. Everything she was speaking of seemed absurd, but he had to put his faith in her as he had nothing else to offer. He didn't want to push the subject any further as he could easily hurt her by his disbelief in her fear. "Payton...he mentioned your escape option the night of the fire. Is this what he was talking about too?"

Joey was quiet for a long time, nothing but the wind sound-tracking their conversation right then. She seemed to be pondering her response as if it wasn't a simple yes or no answer, and Leo wondered in that moment if it wasn't as simple as he'd asked. He wondered, as she seemed to forget he asked anything at all, if he should restate the question in a new way. "Yeah." She finally answered. "Yeah that's exactly what he was talking about."

"How?"

Joey's head snapped in his direct. "Didn't we talk about this? Questions...too many of them. I can't tell you. I can't just say it and have it be clear. It will make even less sense than all this word vomit I just spewed on you." She jumped up to her feet, kicking a little at the grass as she did so. "Have you ever had one of those dreams where you knew it was real? You just _knew_ it. And you woke up all...sweaty or impassioned or terrified? Like what you felt in the dream was what you felt in reality" Leo's eyes were on her. "Those dreams, they _are _real. Emotion is the most real thing one can experience, no matter where it happens. But more than that they're real for someone else or for someone that's trying to communicate with you because they're lonely or scared or just bored. Magic makes those dreams for you to indulge in. Sometimes fae spirits too. Your subconscious is as real in that world as this field we're standing in. Well, you're sitting."

Leo looked up at her, as she'd climbed to her feet and he was still kneeling on the ground. "They live in the subconscious mind of the collective. It's a place Leo. I can't explain it any more than I can tell you what colors look like or how to bake a cake without flour. I can tell you that children have gone missing there because it's dangerous and that fae with bodies in this world get trapped there. But once we die, our spirits return to the minds and thoughts of humanity, waiting to be reborn in some new body only so we can do it all over again. We're recycled spirits because we can't spend forever on this world otherwise. we have to borrow human bodies to live here again. The Dreaming, that's what my people call it - that place where we go and humanity lets their mind run wild with imagination. The world beyond this one. No, before you ask, I don't remember what I did in my last hosts.

"I'm Joey...just Joey. Some fae...they have echoes of those pasts. Amy, Payton's wife, she was plagued with echoes of her former lives. Once she sucked Payton into one of those realities, humans would call it false reality. I only heard about it - I wasn't there. Her magic was strong enough, combined with his, to force an antebellum reality on their small square of land in central Florida. It drew their kids in and temporarily poisoned them all with magic sickness as they lived out their plantation, pre-war life for more than a day. Mundanes would have just said they were suffering temporary insanity if they stumbled on that magic. Or just a dream. That's those people trying to explain away something that can't be explained. It was real. It happened. Once I saw a fae girl kiss her poisoned boyfriend back to life - like Snow White - after he ate a magically poisoned apple. It sounds crazy, I know! But it really happened." Her words were all blurring together excitedly as she laughed somewhat insanely for how ridiculous he must think she was, but for how raw she was feeling right then. She believed her words, he had to give her that.

"Payton's wife? She was a fae?" Leo asked, trying to connect these dots. Payton's speech, he'd heard about from Donnie, in regard to belief made more sense now. They had spoken so openly about believing something - anything - to give purpose to life. Leo had agreed with his brother then. Even if this was such an unconventional belief, it was no different than the faith Leo put in he and his brothers, in his sensei.

"Is." Joey corrected. "She's still out there. She's brilliant, but most normal people think she needs to be institutionalized because they just don't understand her. She gave Payton life, hope, belief in something. Yes, she is a fae. A different sort than me, she didn't interface with many outside of her family. Which was good, because she would have been locked up. I, at least, fake like I understand you normal people." She winked as Leo's eyes snapped up to her again, nearly feeling offended after the shock - but discovered that she was doing that thing again, inspiring emotion in him to fuel her being. A slim smile crossed his lips, amused by her and even flattered to be a part of her fuel. If it would help her, he would most definitely aid. He'd never been called 'normal' before and he considered for a moment that, to her, he was normal.

"That's why your blood kills them. It's raw magic." Leo's mouth was moving without much consideration to what he was saying. Like he was brainstorming out loud as realizations came and holes filled for him. He remembered how the vampires had snapped, licking for her blood and clawing at her for it. They had gone into a frenzy not just because there was fresh blood to be had - but because there was fresh fae blood.

"YES!" She cheered, pumping a fist up in the air as she danced some in her spot. Her energy and excitement was intoxicating, particularly for how rare it was for the faerie woman. "Yes, Leo yes...you bought the flour. Now lets bake the damn cake!"

Leo wondered, momentarily, if she was actually crazy. But his head snapped down to his shadow. It was boringly copying his posture and form, sitting just as still as Leo was. He slowly tipped his eyes back to her. "What are you looking for?" She asked. "You can't see it." She grinned brightly at him, but she seemed to take that as a positive thing. What he didn't know, as it wasn't something that could be controlled, was that he did believe her as best as he could and as openly, primarily because he had seen magic. The Daimyo's staff was a representation of it. He could recall the ancient symbols they'd written on the walls and the chanting that led to the Nexus. It was magic - he himself had channeled it before this moment. It had shocked him, at the time, that the chanting worked - and led to Mikey's winning the Battle Nexus. It seemed a lifetime ago now. But he understood how there was a conduit there and that the magic had to come from someplace. Nothing just exist for the sake of existing...and if Joey had the answers to its existence, who was he to question? He couldn't help but believe and he wondered if the Nexus itself was part of this 'Dreaming' she spoke of.

"We're going there. Come on." She offered her hand to him. He considered refusing and getting up on his own, but decided it would be rude and he didn't want to seem that way. He was too polite for it, and her kindness then was contagious, particularly as he hadn't seen her that energized or excited. He placed his hand in hers.

"Okay." He said simply with a firm nod. It caused Joey to stop. She let her eyes trail up his form and hit his face. A soft smile, uncharacteristic of her, spread across her lips. It was a silent thanks, an honest grateful expression. She seemed to believe that his words and his intention matched, though Leo noticed that she purposefully kept her eyes from his shadow. It was as if she wanted to place as much belief in just his words as she expected from him. They were on the same playing field, both trusting each other for nothing more than what they had spoken.

"I'm going to hand you something. You just listen, hey - hot shot, this is serious." She caught his face in her hands again, not that he wasn't looking at her but it further illustrated just how determined she was being. "**You. Must. Not. Lose. It.** If you do, we won't be able to get back. Well you won't, and I'm not leaving you there. Also..._do_ _not_ step off the Silver Path. It will be under your feet the second we cross over. The Dreaming itself is going to do everything to draw you away...but you can't leave the path. Step only where I step. Follow me and _only_me, no matter what. In fact, hold my hand the whole time." Her voice was laced with nothing but stark sincerity, warning. "If you stray from the Silver Path, you'll be lost forever in the abyss of everyone's minds. In the Dreaming. Some people have some seriously messed up thoughts." She told him explicitly. "Tell me...what mustn't you do?"

"Stray from the Silver Path." He repeated, though he had no idea what that meant, yet. "Keep whatever you give me safe." He had no intention of disobeying her orders. This was her playing ground and he would have to trust her entirely in it. He had no basis to work on and if she said to do things a certain way, Leo would do them. He didn't understand, just yet, how difficult that might be and why Joey was so intent on making sure he knew her instructions, however simple they may be.

"We need an anchor. That pig sticker on your back. You're partial to it, yeah?" Leo's brow ridge bent in and his mask twisted to match his momentarily look of bemusement. His katana were his life, 'partial to it' was putting it mildly. "Yes." He said simply, somewhat baffled by her question in the first place.

"Excellent! Stick one of them in the ground."

Leo didn't question her, though he wanted to for a moment. It passed quickly, his skepticism having no place for the world they were going to. The world based in belief. He slipped one of his katana out of it's home in the sheath along his back. He was reluctant to do as she said, but he also knew he didn't have much of a choice. 'For Raph,' he thought, holding the blade flat across his palms before he elegantly swept the deadly weapon from his own hand and pierced the soil between he and Joey with his most prized item. He felt naked without the blade, lost and misguided but it would be worth it to serve their purpose. The other single blade remained sturdy on his back.

"Good, you'll be our way back." She said twisting in her spot and scanning the ground. "AH!" She chirped, sinking down swiftly to scoop something up from the earth below her feet. Leo watched her squeeze it between her two hands. She closed her eyes and brought her clasped hands to her lips. It seemed like she was mumbling, or humming, until she gave a soft blow into the small space between where her thumbs met. She looked up to Leo and grinned, that crooked lopsided smile at him. "Don't lose it." She reminded him. "This will enchant you." She warned him. "You must give it back to me, or you'll be enchanted forever and it will drive you mad...seeing the world from my kind's perspective. For a little while, you'll be alright. And you won't get into the Dreaming without it...you're too adult to have the believe that could lead you into the Dreaming alone." She explained but Leo was too focused on the idea that he must protect the object - whatever it was.

"You must accept it from me and you must return it to me. Do you understand?" She asked.

He nodded once.

"Good. Then I present to you this gift." She held out her hand, palm up. A smooth, non descript rock sat on the flat of her hand. Leo looked at it for a moment, surprised by its lack of special beauty. Magic seemed like it always needed to appear extraordinary. The stone shined in the sun's rays, but otherwise had no defining characteristics. Cautiously, he reached out and lifted the object from her hand, infused with a bit of her own magic and offering it to him. The second he lifted it from her palm, he felt his stomach lurch and everything around him seemed to suddenly spin wildly. The world twisted under his feet. He didn't know he'd dropped to his knees, nearly abandoning the stone as he tried to, automatically, catch himself. Like the vampire club, nothing could have prepared him for the sensation of falling and flying all at once. He vaguely heard someone shouting at him, but there was a wicked whine that overrode everything. He clapped his hands over his head, trying to block out the sound that made his head feel like it may explode any second now from the pressure building and the wild wail in his ears.

"LEO!" He finally heard Joey's voice, but it sounded different - like song on the wind, as her hand clamped around his bicep and she hauled him to his feet. "DAMN IT LEO! Stand up!" The world, when his eyes opened, looked drastically different. As if he'd taken some hallucinogen. It was as if the colors were brighter, like the way a child's drawing might - with bright, unnatural pigments. The grass wasn't soft and flowing on the breeze, but blinding green against a scribbled blue backdrop. It even looked almost one dimensional, or like the world had become a set made from cardboard and splashes of color. "I don't know what you're seeing but don't let it frighten you. We have to go. NOW!" She barked, and it sounded now, like she was screaming at him over a fierce storm, not the calmness of the field they were actually standing in. "Come on!" With that she looped her arm through his, of which he was grateful, as she tugged him forward. Guiding him.

Joey, led him to the edge of a shadow cast by one of the clouds above. "Ready?" She asked but didn't wait for him to respond as she instantly stepped forward, disappearing - with Leo - into the edge of the shadow, as if the lined edge of the shadow on the ground was a gateway - a door - and for Joey it was. For Leo, it was like being chucked into a washing machine on spin. He landed on his hands, the stone stung as it crushed into the heel of his hand and he spilt whatever had been in his stomach. He blinked, there was no evidence of his being sick below his hands, but he found that he was staring, literally at ground that looked like it was made of water, silver flowing water, that had the properties of solid land. It was certainly materialistic under him, even if it appeared though it shouldn't be. His hand closed around the stone as he sat back on his heels and wiped his mouth with the back of his other hand.

"I told you so." She said. Joey - now she sounded like the Joey he knew again. "You're not strange to me and certainly not the strangest thing I've seen."

* * *

><p><em>In fact, when we heard from Leo again, we thought Mikey was crazy as he was the messenger. I'll never understand what happened no matter how many times they try and explain it to me. If you think I'm crazy for what I did, you should talk to Leo.<em>

_I think he and Joey dropped acid in some field upstate, God only knows how that little broad could have talked Leo the Leery (of anything fun) into something that nuts, not that I'm condoning drugs or anything. Mike too, though, since he seemed to believe them._

_Good thing Donnie was sensible. But I think that Shiki guy was pulling one over on him too..._


	13. It's About Time that I Came Clean

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>Chapter Eleven:  
>It's About Time that I Came Clean With You<p>

_I was restless with my friends, just waiting for what seemed like near forever. Particularly when Payton went to the surface to meet that Shiki guy. We all were afraid he might not come back once he managed to get free of us. He might leave Raph to die. None of us wanted to say it, but we all worried he might have lit on out of there. The question was...then what?_

_But we still had Ash. It was part of what made me comfy thinking he'd come back. I was pretty sure he wouldn't just ditch his brother, but what did I know? He did come. With Shiki._

_The man wasn't right, that much was obvious the second he passed through the doors_...

* * *

><p>Casey was leaning back on two legs of his chair, twirling his bat in his hand, thinking of April - he was using her to distract from the occasional moan from the sofa, where Raph had been situated. It wasn't working, particularly the more Raph grunted and groaned in pain. Casey fell forward with the thud, the chair rocking heavily the second the doors opened and Payton appeared. Mikey, who had offered to take Payton the sewer junction that would lead topside to collect the other medicine man, stood beside him. Finally, Shiki himself followed in soft footsteps behind. He was hunched, or appeared to be with a bulky gathering of fabric on his back and an odd gait for it, like he was limping but not quite. Raven colored hair hung in long spears around his clearly Asian face. He was soft featured and looked much too young to have such an awkward deformity.<p>

"She said it was urgent." Shiki said in a songish voice to the orange wearing turtle. His lack of disturbance - both by their location and his company - struck Casey as bizarre. In fact, everything about this man was weird in some way - from his softness to the way his body looked so jagged under his kimono shirt. It didn't fit and if there was one thing Casey learned in the last few years, if not just the few days, things weren't always as they seemed.

"Oh bro, you have no idea." Mikey was worried, it was obvious in his tone, but his eyes seemed like he was distracted. It was almost as if everything going on around him kept Mikey's mind running too quickly to focus on one thing. He had tried to distract himself while they waited, but even the easily entertained Michelangelo wasn't so easily amused. He, instead, was plagued by worry for his brother's health and helplessness for having nothing to give back. Mikey brought him further into the sewer, gesturing to where Raph was laying, curled up and wrapped in a blanket.

"What have you done?" The Asian man didn't bother looking to the others in the room, he merely bustled around the couch and knelt before Raphael. His question, however, was directed at Payton. The shyer doctor followed, with more deliberate steps. Don too had moved to come to them, letting his tinkering fall to the wayside as the newcomer's words meant more than whatever he distracted himself with. "What have you tried rather? I hope that your magic has helped more than hurt...though I often find mage magic to do more of the latter." His beady black eyes never turned to the oldest Lionel. "As I understand, Ashton-san has fallen sick as well. You're nearly running a hospital, aren't you? Konbanwa, Raphael-san. I have heard much of you - I worry." Shiki greeted the delirious, with fever, turtle.

Shiki's hand moved from under the long bell sleeve of his kimono and rested on Raph's forehead. The turtle weakly tried to swat at Shiki's arm, but failed miserably. Instead, he curled his hand back up against his body and groaned, both in frustration and sleepiness "Indeed, this is grave. Worse than I could have imagined. Why didn't you beckon sooner?" He still didn't look to Payton, though he spoke to him. Payton didn't answer; it wasn't clear if it was out of shame or out of shyness, or perhaps both, for having 'let' Raph get this bad before calling for help. It was hardly the situation as they hadn't had time to really get help until now, but it didn't stop Payton from feeling guilt.

Shiki bowed deeply to Raph, his face nearly touching his knees where he sat back on his heels. "I will do my very best, but you must meet me half way, Raphael-san. This journey is partly yours as well. I cannot trek it alone - that is the problem, you aren't trying. You must try. Nature has chosen you for a quest of your lifetime, if you wish to find the other side, you must help me help you." He spoke to the almost unconscious turtle, earning nothing in response but heavy breaths and gathering fever sweat drops.

"Dude, he can't hear you." Mikey was unnerved by Shiki and his soft spoken demeanor. He was so much more mellow than Mikey, so seemingly out of this world, he mostly fascinated the orange clad turtle. It had been going on since Patyon and he returned to the sewers, Shiki mesmerizing Mikey.

"Hai..." Shiki's gaze turned casually to Michelangelo, almost like a soft breeze. His beady eyes seemed to pierce through Mikey's soul. "That is your fist mistake, Kame-san. Don't judge what he may or may not hear, his spirit is to whom I speak, not his body. Nature has not let Her child go yet, he can still find his way back. She cares deeply for your brother - he must care for Her in return." Shiki explained though it was less directly at Michelangelo and more at what Shiki was attempting to do and believed in general. That much struck Mikey too - where Don might believe the logic, Mikey was often smitten with the impossible, if not entirely bizarre. He ran on emotion and right then, Shiki's words made him feel hopeful in a way no amount of medical logic could. It confused Don to hear these words, mostly as he couldn't figure out how Raph could possibly find his way back that easily. Mikey, however, had such raw, innocent belief that his liking the sound of Shiki's ideas was enough to persuade him of their possibilities. "He will need your help, Kame-sama. There will be no room for doubt. Come here, please." He urged Michelangelo nearer to him and the turtle immediately came to Shiki's side, sinking down near his brother.

Casey and Don were both quiet, one confused by Shiki's words and the other wanting to understand more. Don even moved forward a little bit, as if cautious and unsure of Shiki's intent. But he watched with keen eyes as he had to trust this man. He wasn't Leo or Raph, he didn't have the innate need to protect against any possible threat. Don, instead, saw everyone as a possible teacher rather than an enemy and right then, he was eager but slightly afraid of whatever it was that Shiki had to teach them.

"Give me your hand." Shiki took Mikey's hand without any shock or consideration to the fact that it was a three fingered turtle hand, nor that Raph was also a turtle. Shiki held it softly, making Mikey shiver some for how serene all of it felt. He placed it on Raph's chest, pressed over his heart. "Do you feel that?" Mikey hesitated, letting the beat of Raph's heart vibrate his hand. It rattled his thick skin, soaking into the natural rhythm of his own heart so he felt as if his blood pumped through his ears at the same rate that Raph's orange clad turtle shook his head, but his face turned down and he felt tears well in the corners of his eyes; he had been really avoiding Raph for this very reason. Fear was finally stealing it's hold on the optimistic Mikey, his bravery and hope relinquishing it's spot to the overpowering terror. He could feel that Raph was alive in that moment, which was a good thing. It also, however, meant that he could die at any moment. That sort of reality was too much for Mikey to handle.

"Yes." He finally choked out, one of the tears rolling over his eye lid and soaking into the fabric of his mask. "I feel it."

Shiki seemed stunned by Mikey's emotional outburst. "No no, Kame-sama! This is good. Very good. As long as we have this, he can follow it back to us. His heartbeat...and the memory of those who mean most to him. Won't you, Raphael-san?" Shiki leaned up and brought his face very close to Raph's, his hand was placed on the red clad turtle's forehead. "Show your brother, very soon, how strong you truly are. Surely you have many things to live for. Payton-san, did you give him something after the Screamer attack? No no," Shiki's attention snapped between Payton back to Mikey instantly as the turtle had begun to pull his hand away. The Japanese man placed his hand firmly over Mikey's on Raph's plastron. He held it there tightly, trapping Mikey's hand against Raph's chest. "He needs you. Do not abandon him now when he needs you most." Shiki's small black eyes bore into Michelangelo and the wide eyed turtle took his new responsibility on with the utmost seriousness. Mikey's other hand came up to press on Raph's plastron, feeling the steady rhythm of his brother's heart pumping blood throughout his body.

Payton stepped forward some, answering Shiki's question. "Yes, we went to the club to save Ash. he was taken by Elisa and Raph came with us...he was in the club."

Shiki's brow furrowed, an almost horrified look on his face. It made Mikey look up to the doctor, wondering for a moment if he should be horrified too. Right then, Mikey was all about pleasing Shiki if it would make those things he said come true. "After this happened...you brought him...out. There? To fight more vampires? With what drugs?" Shiki was even more stunned and afraid of whatever it meant that Payton had to administer to keep him on his feet. "It does not matter that he's a turtle, Payton-san. You may have thought he was stronger than your soft skin, but some things are sacred. A wound is a wound, you should know that and act accordingly. Health is elementary. Are you visiugo?" He asked Mikey who stared at him in shock, mouth agape trying to formulate words. Even Donnie seemed puzzled, his eyes narrowed, at the question.

When Payton spoke next, he sounded defeated - lost and very scorned for having been scolded like a kid who stole too many cookies. Only this was about a life he had put in danger, despite having known how bad it could be. "They're not, no. They're mutants." He answered for Mikey, eyes directed at Shiki who, in turn, was still looking at the turtle.

"They're Nature's children, just as you or I." Shiki corrected the flippant physician, clear tension between the two in that moment for their differing views on how Raph should have been treated. "He means no disrespect, forgive his bitter view of life. She, Nature that is, has been mean to him, given him only trials and Payton-san often forgets to appreciate the gifts he's blessed with. He's quite negative." Shiki told Mikey who was merely staring at Shiki with wide eyes. Payton sighed from his spot, though didn't offer a defense to Shiki's words. The foreign man having not taken notice, or simply didn't think to question Payton's explanation of what they were. In fact, Shiki didn't care what made them who they were - simply that they were there and alive.

"Are you a v..v...vissle-o? Vessel thingy?" Mikey asked, struggling with the word and settled for making up his own. Shiki's lips parted back in a wide grin that showed a full row of teeth. He bowed to the energetic Michelangelo.

"Hai! I'm a vessel thingy." Shiki laughed lightly and looked up to Payton again before glancing at Mikey, copying his verbiage. "You keep charming company, Payton-san. Kame-sama, you remind me of my son, we call him Lucky. He's much younger, but has the same spirit. I believe the word you are looking for is visiugo. I'm also that." Shiki chuckled, amused with Michelangelo as he leaned over into a small satchel at his side. Mikey made a small 'o' with his lips as he looked down to where he was still holding to Raph's chest.

"It's Mike...why do you keep calling me Kame?" He asked, both curious and confused by the name 'kame' that had fallen so easily from Shiki's lips for the last few minutes. It was his shock, which was slowly wearing away, that kept him mentioning it any sooner.

"It means turtle." Shiki's lips, however, had never moved to speak. The voice that answered was soft and knowledgeable - the wizened words of their sensei. He stood a few feet from the couch where Shiki was fiddling with the leather bag. The man looked up to the rat and the rat to the man. They locked gazes and Splinter appeared momentarily stern, clearly disturbed by something that none of the turtles or Casey could fully see. One hand was placed behind his back and the other on the walking stick situated in front of him. It was rare to see Splinter on such high alert, though the strange man was as guarded as the rat made him. "I believed visiugo to only be legend, an ideal and hopeful dream. Are you a Corvidaethrope?"

Mikey had looked to Don quickly, mouthing to him 'a what?'. Don, however, gave a shrug of his shoulders as he had absolutely no clue what a 'visiugo' or a 'corvidaethrope' was in the first place. It surprised the keen turtle that their sensei knew of what Shiki spoke of. Though, it wasn't the first time Master Splinter had seemed to know more than he would let on. It merely gave Don the assurance that he could trust Shiki and his words. If Master Splinter knew some of what he spoke of, there could be a measure of trust to what the stranger was saying.

"Hai." Shiki answered cautiously, but bowed respectfully to the rat. He was clearly respected among the others, as even Mikey had stopped talking when Master Splinter did. Therefore Shiki would offer nothing but gratitude towards this person.

"I'd like it if you would leave my home." When he spoke, Splinter's words came out sharp and no nonsense. He didn't raise his voice above its soft, calm decibel - but he was clearly intent on getting Shiki to leave their sewer. Mikey's eyes had widened, shocked by his sensei's insistence.

"Master Splinter..." Donnie was on his feet in a second, having been watching how Shiki was caring for Raph. It seemed to be their only hope while Leo was gone with Joey. Therefore, Don was surprised and confused by what their sensei wanted. He couldn't sit back and let it go on without understanding of why he had asked Shiki to leave. He assumed, if Shiki could help, Master Splinter would most definitely want him to try. Shiki, too, was surprised by the sudden request. Of them all, however, he seemed to be the most understanding of why he was asked to leave. He bowed his head in silent apology, almost touching the floor with his nose once again for how deep the bow was.

"I am not with the Flight, if that is your reasoning. My mate and I abandoned their cause long ago. Daichi-kun insisted as he refused to live in the shadows of their patriarchal dominance. I would not be their healer if I could not have my mate. He, in turn, would not be their hand of justice if it wasn't with me openly as his life partner. Beyond that, he doesn't agree with their ways and has brought me to his understand of Nature and her gifts. The Flight sees them inaccurately; their ways are ruled by a harsh, selfish dictatorship. Where they feel entitled to the land and its magic, I am but a servant to Nature. Just as it is intended to be. If you speak of believing only in legend, let me show you in reality what we are. What I am. Judgment should not be passed until you have a self viewing perspective, ne?"

Splinter hesitated, clearly interested in Shiki's request. "My son's fate is in your hand. I do not wish for him to die. This is your request of me, to trust you. You, however, are painted as a villain through history. I cannot change that, though please...I beg of you to prove legend to be just that. A story." The turtles and Casey, even Payton, fell silent as Splinter spoke. He had all of the floor when he did.

"I was violent in my youth, indeed. Just as my kind often is. But I'm older now and experienced. Wizened. I understand your hesitation. I have children of my own whom would be my concern should I be in your position. But I see a man - a son - a brother - a child of Nature herself who could use the help of a man, Corvidaethrope or not, willing to offer my years of natural medical experience. I can help Raphael...if you would let me. Please let me help your son live." Shiki pleaded softly.

Splinter was quiet for a moment, his hand resting still against his walking stick. The only sound in the room was Raph's heaving breathing. Even Mikey was holding his breath, silently begging Master Splinter to let the man help them."If you're not ashamed of what you are, do not hide it among friends." The word 'friend' came out in a near threat, a challenge, from the old rat who was asking for proof of the healer's intent. Don opened his mouth to ask what that even meant, if he was to heal Raph right then and there to prove his worth. Shiki, however, had stood as if on cue. Like he knew the right answer that none of them were aware of.

Shiki stood slowly and, with a few tugs of ties and knots on his kimono, the top fell at his feet. He made no attempt to hide himself after Splinter's request. From under the thick and heavy fabric, two massive black wings emerged. They stood high about his head, wide and silky smooth as the light in the sewer glistened off their surface. It was clear, as Mikey let out a low (eyes-pinned-open) 'woah', that Shiki wasn't disfigured at all, not in the traditional sense. His body was slender, with most of his mass coming from the weight of the feathers. He didn't have a limp and he wasn't sickly in anyway. Instead, he was hiding a set of massive black, bird wings.

"I am not ashamed." Shiki explained, the thick fabric of his pants still held up by a specifically knotted material, though now bare chested, "Though I am humble and, it seems to me, that you would understand the need to remain in humanity's shadow." Shiki's wings rustled as they settled on his back, no longer weighted down and confined by the traditional Japanese garb. Don and Mikey were surprised, though they could understand the possibilities of this simply because they defied the norms too. Casey, however, was mostly stunned and considered for a moment if he was dreaming..._again_. This, so far, was most definitely the bizarre contents of a dream. He hoped so because no one ever really died in dreams.

"Did you only assume I was Corvidea, because I'm Japanese - do you know of no other visiugo?" Shiki asked.

Splinter seemed cautious still, hesitant but he bowed, finally, politely to Shiki. He was impressed and encouraged by Shiki's openness. "Hai, yes, as ravens are said to rule the skies beyond Mount Fuji."

"That is what the Flight leaders would like you to believe. Fear." Shiki hissed, as if the word and mindset behind it disgusted him. "I am no longer part of the Flight that rules by terror." He reiterated. Mikey was still enamored with the huge wings.

"Can you fly?" He couldn't help himself, awe struck by the velvety wings that were close enough for him to touch. He reached out to do so, without permission, but he felt the stinging sensation of Donnie smacking the back of his hand. It jolted him back to realty and he curled his mouth back at the stinging sensation, hissing in faux pain. Don gave a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head. "Don't be rude, Mikey. He didn't go touching your shell, did he?" Donnie hissed to his brother in a low scolding tone, who gave a shrug and still gazed at Shiki's feathers.

Before Shiki had the chance to answer, Raph mumbled. "Am I dead? Angels...they have white wing right? Ain't dead yet...unless they got black ones in hell." He groaned a little and dipped back into half slumber, his head buried against a pillow. A soft smile passed Shiki's lips and he bowed to Splinter again.

* * *

><p><em>Now, I know Splinter's protective of his boys, but I never seen him like that. I think he scared even Payton being all stern, but that Shiki guy wasn't backing down; not when he though he could help. He wasn't aggressive and I don't know how he could have ever been violent a day in his life.<em>

_Here all, this time, I thought Ash was the gay one. I never would have pegged Shiki for it. But he talked openly about his mate - that Daichi guy. Maybe I'm wrong about Ash, but nobody dresses like he does without having a little bit of girl in him. Who am I to judge? That Shiki guy was alright, or at least I thought so. Splinter was still skeptical, but Shiki was willing to earn his trust as best he knew how._

_He slapped some disgusting smelling paste he said was made out of some tree root mixed up with something else on Raph's shoulder and forced him to sit up long enough to swallow down a couple swigs of some rancid greenish-brown brewed drink. It was all for Splinter's benefit as it was part of their bargain, Splinter wanted to know everything that bird was doing to his son. It was only after that that we were playing twenty-questions with the birdman._

_His wings were kind of cool actually, when they didn't make him walk like a cripple 'cuz he had to hide them..._

* * *

><p>Shiki was looking at the wound on Donatello's arm, holding his arm gentle with nimble fingers. "You seem to be the unique one, at least your name. The others I have heard about were in the Renaissance, your name sake existed in the late Middle Ages, ne? Daichi, he is partial to poetry and often times art forms blend." Shiki explained with a soft smile at Donatello as he dabbed at the bite wound. Don nodded his head briefly, though he was mostly watching Shiki work as he was curious about his line of thought<p>

"That's right...but I don't mind, I've always been a little different as it were. What's that going to do?" He asked, nodding to the jar Shiki had pulled from his bag. It was filled high with some green, goopy looking liquid and had a heavy cork inside. Donnie could only assume it was because it was meant to keep something very rancid - and perhaps dangerous - sealed up tight. Shiki opened his mouth to answer but was cut off before he could.

"Mia's dead." Payton blurted out, having sat down to watch helplessly, feeling useless. The swab in Shiki's fingers floated to the floor, the man forgetting about Don's arm. Even his feathers rustled some. Mikey looked concerned for Shiki's reaction, wondering then if Mia was a friend of the raven-man's.

"I didn't know...he was still alive to being with. What with his lifestyle, should being the toy of a vampire actually be a lifestyle." Shiki spoke softly, almost apologetically.

"Raph saw him die. Its sort of how we got in this mess - he was seen." Donnie explained as he watched Shiki fuss over the double puncture wound that looked angry and swollen. He too was curious about that night, but Casey hadn't seen enough to really tell and Raph wasn't in the position to talk more. Don was pretty sure, by the little information Raph had given, that there was more to be had...Raph was known to hide things if it wasn't exactly the most honorable or easiest to swallow. Part of Don feared that might be the case now, and they might not have all the puzzle pieces.

"Mouths have the most horrible little life forms that make infection happen. Even vampire mouths. Don't tell Ash." Shiki instructed Donnie with a soft smile, though his eyes still bore the shock and worry that his voice had when he'd first heard that Mia was dead. "I understand why your brother was a target if he witnessed such a death. Mia, as I knew last, was Kenshin's personal doll. Kenshin, you must understand, was once a man of great reputation in his living years. It's said that he turned his leadership capabilities, having headed a troop of samurai in feudal Japan, to dominating the under-dark culture in his vampiric existence. He is their leader, their prince and Mia was his pawn."

"Did you know Mia?" Donatello asked, his face paling some. If Raph had witnessed the death of a former samurai, now vamprie prince's best prize, there was certainly something to worry about. He didn't know of their politics, but there was no question that Shiki's news brought only more problems.

"Hai. Mia was a Flight brother in our fledgling years. Nature has such a small number of us which know Her true strength, mages, visiugo...fae even, that our paths are bound to cross. Most know one another; its hard for us to survive without protecting each other. Only...some, like vampires, are but our enemy in a world that already causes us pain."

"Fae?" Donnie echoed. He wasn't sure exactly what Shiki was - beyond his wings and clever animal nature as Master Splinter had indicated. But he wondered now what they really did step into. If there were so many races, so many collaborations of people, in a society beneath their own, he and his brothers wouldn't stand a chance. They knew nothing of this world and were mostly flying by the seats of their nonexistent pants.

"Ah, that is a story which I have no worthy knowledge to explain. Perhaps Joey would be better suited to tell you of fae. When she returns. I, however, can offer you about the former. Mia, like me, was Corvidea. Visiugo, we take Nature's breath and carry it out to Her foundlings. The ones who have forgotten Her. People have paved over the Earth's beauty, taken down Her trees and destroyed Her very life by misusing her resources. We, visiugo, are infused with those that are dearest to Her - those that live in Her natural habitats - to spread a message of natural beauty. Where Payton's magic and medicine comes from channeling it...well, myself and other visiugos are consumed by protecting magic. The very natural magic that seeps through the ground and into our pores, we are its protectors."

Don squinted some, frowning as he was clearly confused and put off by the idea of magic and those that might protect it. He was about numbers and empirical evidence - magic was hard to fully grasp when he had nothing to explain it. He, however, could see Shiki's wings - he might not be able to explain why he had them, as Nature wasn't something he could measure or weigh unless it was in the form of science. But he could see that they existed and therefore, though it hurt his brain to give in, he found himself having to trust that maybe Shiki was right - he was a protector, a servant even, to the Natural world. "You asked Mikey if he was one." Casey pointed out, being the first to speak for a few moments. "S'at mean there's other not bird kinds?"

"Indeed. I thought perhaps he was trapped in one of his forms or he just preferred the comfort of being mostly turtle. You see, visiugo have many forms that we can take. I rarely retract my wings all the way. I could, and live without the hunch - but why when this was how Nature wanted me? Who am I to argue with Her? I will take Her gift and cherish it."

"Can you turn into a bird? Like...just a bird? With a beak and all that?" Mikey asked, his eyes a little bright at the possibility.

Shiki smiled, nodding. "Hai, I prefer it for sleeping. Daichi-kun likes the sill, you see. I can be all man, I could have but wings and a beak and feathers all over my body...or be a black raven standing before you. We are granted the power to transform by Nature herself. She chooses us for this, and we accept Her gift." He admitted. "I'm surprised, with the nature of Payton-san's work, that you didn't know of visiugo."

All eyes turned to the uncomfortable doctor who squirmed nervously under their gaze. "I study visiugo. Well...studied, I guess. Before now. Years ago, when I didn't deal with vampires. I was trying to better understand them. Genetically, that is. As a whole, as a race within our world. Forgive me if I sound insulting, Shiki, but visiugo are archaic in many ways. Their desire to maintain Nature's beauty leaves them to shun modern cultural norms. Some are as extreme as the Amish, some don't ever leave their full animal form, choosing to live as a fox or a raven or a snake for their entirety of their lives. And some, like Shiki...well they blend the two as they believe its how Nature meant it to be. Blended and shared because man is as much her child as animal."

Shiki bowed his head. "You are more than entitled to your opinion, Payton-san. And I'm sure Joey would tell you to let the miracle exist with no answer. I say Nature will only tell you as much as She wants you to know. But I encourage you, Payton-san. Carry on." Shiki chuckled, light-heartedly. He was a pleasant, happy sort particularly as he was working. He had collected another hand knitted square of gauze and went back to dabbing Donatallo's arm of dried blood.

Don was contemplating everything still as he gathered all the information he could. "Visiugo...it's latin right? The word? What does it mean exactly? Does it have to do with being an aniimal?" Donnie asked.

"Hai. Or so I'm told as my kind is as old as humans, perhaps older. I suppose the Greeks, first to invent written history, would be the ones to give us a name. It means nature and bound together; an illustration of what we are. A blended being, somewhere between animal and man. This way we can be Her messengers and Her warriors - as we are the bridge. You see, we all serve a purpose to magic...to natural, raw magic. Fae are its originators, as I said...Joey can explain more there as I am no expert. Mages are its conduits as they can harness magic enough to spread it. Vampires are its weakness, and visiugo are its support system, its healers if you will. One cannot, unfortunately, exist without the other. The constant harmony is what we strive for and sometimes, that harmony and its equilibrium is unkempt. That is part of the problem, what the Flight in Japan was like. They feel entitled to total power and will do anything to keep that power, as they feel they are the arbiters or balance. They forget that with that mindset they are being counterproductive to their intention. Not all of us go about it that way."

"Some say that the prefix is in reference to violence." Splinter added, speaking for the first time as he had simply been listening to Shiki's explanation. His words came out in a question too, hoping Shiki would defend this as well. He was soft as he offered up his words, clearly wanting to believe in what Shiki was saying and doing.

"Every one has the power of passion, Splinter-san; it is what we learn to do with it that makes us violent or gentle. Passion can be used in many ways. I save mine for my family now. I have a better source to express my fire. But yes, visiugo do burn hotly - and feel fully. We are, after all, part animal. We are subject to animal instincts and, sometimes, animal mentality as far as morals go."

"Sort of." Payton added, frowning some. He seemed more confident in speaking now, as if his expertise was enough to make him feel useful. "You're more than that. It's...complicated. Genetic visiugo are just that—genetic. It comes from a deviation in their genes that makes them who they are, a rare recessive trait. But it's a trait that's activated once puberty hits—no exception. They can't pass that on like a vampire can under the right condition or a bitten one can. Shiki can't make you a visiugo by biting you. But his biological children have that possibility."

"So...its both science and belief?" Don asked, a little bit relieved at Payton's more logic view and approach to it. Shiki, however, seemed a little put off by the possibility.

"Yes...I suppose if you want to look at it that way. We are genetically created." Shiki agreed, though he looked skeptical about the idea. It was clear he saw it as much more. "But where magic can be traced somewhere physically, there is a large chunk of it that is based in belief...in the power of suggestion. And as a visiugo, we have faith in Nature. We fuel the natural energies of magic, of the earth Herself. You see, as genetic as it might be, that genetic trait is given to an individual and their offspring based on Nature's desire - Her choice - to see them become one of her warriors. So in some ways, no. We may have the possibility to have the trait, but not without Her permission." Shiki explained. Don bit his lip for a moment, clearly trying to sink in so much of a philosophical based explanation. The idea of faith was ideal to him, but he didn't consider it much of a possibility. He wanted to trust it and part of him did because it was clear the other three were. But Don was also accepting maybe he just couldn't understand it all like they could.

"It's like Shiki's a werewolf! Only a were...bird!" Mikey said excitedly, bouncing some in his spot. He had discreetly tried to touch Shiki's wings again, though Don gave him a stern look that made him stop. "That's so cool!"

"Well there are werewolves as you'd call them." Payton told him, though it was Don that was paying more attention to what Payton was going to say. Mikey was, instead, mostly distracted by Shiki still. "But they're actually Candidaethrope - they prefer. There are families of all sorts of animals out there. Most we don't know about yet because they stick to nature and the woods - they don't come out of their full animal forms to tell us they exist. But werewolves are based somewhat in reality - at least the violent ones you speak of. Legend at least. Its only werewolves, as far as I know—I don't know as much about each individual breed as I do the ones I've studied closely. But as far as I've been able to tell, they were targeted by folklore so long ago when one wolf - that is, a wolf visiugo - in particular got a magical sickness akin to rabies. He was ravenous, foaming at the mouth and absolutely terrifying. Like...a classical werewolf.

"That led to a spiral—belief and expectation can be strong enough to influence magic. When one wolf created a hysteria in a small town, more followed by word of mouth. The power of suggestion, as Shiki spoke of. The Salem Witch trials weren't all that different - witches, as they called them then, existed but not a single one accused in that town was one. And certainly not as vicious as they claimed witches to be. We aren't sent from the depths of hell, as some would believe. With the sick wolf, so many began to fear visiugo wolves in general that their magic began to mutate. Their fear warped them so badly that most visiugo wolves became something as vicious and scary as that original one. It became something of ahh…well evil, really. Quite different than a visiugo is. It did in fact become a curse…a contamination so long as they bite a victim to create them as such. One bite, from that original werewolf, created more and more after. So they are, in fact, contagious. All by, again, the mass hysteria created by the majority. Belief means everything. People believe something is dangerous and deadly long enough and it'll become true. But only if that belief is authentic. That one line, born from the poor sickly visiugo wolf, can create some of their own, but that's not to say they aren't genetic too. Nature no longer has control. There are many, many avenues of possibility when it comes to anything magical—and non-magical too. Mostly, as I understand, the contaminated breeds have died out now."

Donatello was fascinated, hanging on every single word Payton spoke. Mikey, in the mean time, seemed to catch snippets and they were all the wrong ones as his eyes grew wide and slightly worried for a few moments at a time. Don's arm went unnoticed by him as his eyes were set on Shiki. "Do you know of any turtle breeds of visiugo then? If there are ravens and wolves, there must be turtles, right?" He was hopeful as, from what he saw, Shiki was the closest to what they were. Not a mutant, as their creation was so different, but definitely worth meeting if turtles existed outside their sewer walls.

A fleeting but sad smile crossed the dark-haired man's lips. "Ah, it would be a question I should have expected. Alas, no. Payton would be the man to ask about variety." Don looked expectantly to Payton, though he hadn't the chance to directly ask the doctor.

"Can you fly?" Mikey blurted out again, fascination and awe still in his voice. He had managed reaching out again to touch Shiki's wings. This time he succeeded, as Don was distracted by Payton, and stroked the feathers with his hand. Mikey gave a little gasp, the silky texture smooth like water against his hand.

Shiki chuckled, clearly amused by Mikey's child like awe. "Hai."

"Coooooooool." He cooed, slightly envious by Shiki's aerodynamic wings. "Hey Don...about those jetpacks. Maybe you could make us wings instead."

Shiki merely laughed at Mikey's enthusiasm but gave his attention to the other turtle. "They would prefer your blood. The vampires." He told Donnie, unbothered by Mikey's attention as he simply let the turtle feel his wings. Don seemed to have given up, uninterested in what Mikey was doing too. "As they prefer mine. The same flavor and joy without the dangers of someone like Joey. Magic tastes yummy to them, so when they can get it - in any form - they will. Mage or visiugo, they are safe. Rarely do visiugo fall victim to the predator. That's another reason Mia was significant too. He was a visiugo, like me. No, my kind is more known for their fighting - at least the ones who live in human society, with their animal counterpart caged in only human flesh. It is a way to release much of the energy that they keep hidden away. It's gruesome and I refuse to treat any of mine who find themselves pitted like nothing more than animals in those rings. There are other ways."

"What other ways?" Mikey chimed in, still intrigued by Shiki.

"Family. Love." Shiki answered. Even Mikey smiled at that, smitten and inspired by the idea of family and love guiding someone. He was a social butterfly, it was half of what made him so consumed by Shiki's strange and inviting presence. But he too strove for those things, love and family and happiness, to keep him going. He could relate to Shiki in a way he was pretty sure no one else could. Don had his books and knowledge, Raph always seemed to be just angry with the world and therefore Mikey figured he had his misery. And Leo, on the other hand, had his bravery and leadership. Mikey just had people...he could appreciate Shiki having the same. "For me at least." Shiki was silent for a long while as he dabbed Donnie's arm with something that looked like mint colored jelly, but smelled like wet cat food. "Leave this for no less than 24 hours. It will draw the toxins out and leave you with less noticeable scaring. It may itch in a few hours. Do not succumb to it's request." Shiki explained but stood up and went back to Raph. He had the grace of his animal counterpart as he swept about the room, with his wings now free of their confines. He dipped down next to Raphael.

His eyes, beady and black, lifted to meet Splinter's gaze. "We will fight for him, draw him to us. I will continue to work on his body's strength, but I'm afraid if Kenshin remotely suspects he was involved in Mia's death, it won't be so easy to keep him alive. None of us will be able to easily accomplish keeping him safe." Master Splinter bowed his head some, clearly aware of Raph's grave fate if that were the case.

"We must do our best." He said softly and Shiki agreed with a bow to the rat.

Casey gulped, clearly more distressed than the calmness about Master Splinter. In fact, all of Splinter's worry was confined and controlled where Casey looked ready to pull his hair out. "Don't let my pal die, Shiki...uh...san?" Casey attempted the honorific Japanese title, but it just came out sounding weird and lame - cumsy. "What if...I was there too?"

Shiki's gaze turned to him. Casey had already heard of the dangers from Payton, Ash and Joey alike. For some reason, Shiki's words seemed to solidify Casey's fear and worry, as if it was Splinter telling him the same thing. "Then I would say you're in as much danger as he is in. Fortunately for you - you're still standing. You will have the opportunity to run." Shiki paused again. "Though I suspect it will do you little good."

* * *

><p><em>Well that wasn't what I wanted to hear. I would rather have been on the couch and Raph the one running his mouth off; particularly as that weapon was aimed right for me to begin with. So I lied when I said I thought Shiki was pulling one over on Donnie, on us.<em>

_I don't want to like him either. I don't want to like any of them. I feel like they're responsible for me being here. Well I know Payton is. Sometimes I see a black bird sitting outside of my cage, my prison, and I wonder if it's one of them watching me - making sure I haven't killed someone yet. Shiki sending Daichi over to watch me. I wish if, that bird on the ledge, was him he'd say something. I know birds can't talk and he can't in that little bird body but damn it this place gets lonely._

_I'm sick of writing this stupid thing. I'm not crazy. This all happened and I should be getting a metal or something._

_Maybe I can make the rest of it quick so I can just get out of here. So then Shiki says we all need rest. That's when Mikey had his little Leo inspired episode..._

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><p><strong>::Author's Note::<strong>

Thank you for taking the time to read this latest chapter! For those who might be following this story as we embark on our journey, we'd love to hear what you think! To those eagerly awaiting the next chapter, we will continue onward with our speedy updates. Please let us know if you're enjoying this story as much as we are. We really hope these pieces are making sense and are as enjoyable to read as they are to write. We worried a good deal about the last chapter and hope it was understandable, that the content wasn't bewildering. This chapter also contained complex themes. We hope they weren't overwhelming. Any constructive criticism, tips, ideas, theories or other comments are always appreciated. Thank you again.


	14. I Don't Dream Since I Quit Sleeping

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>Chapter Twelve:  
><span>I Don't Dream Since I Quit Sleeping<span>

_Like I said, I'll never understand. It doesn't help that I never got a real explanation for what happened with Leo and Joey. I was worried about Raph. I'm still worried about Raph. I don't like being in here not knowing what's going on out there with my friends. They could be dead for all I know. Why won't you tell me if they're alive or not?_

_Mikey said he heard it in a dream...you know, since Shiki made us all sleep. He even gave Don something to help him rest as he didn't sleep so good after that whole club thing..._

* * *

><p>Leo was sure he was seeing things. No, no...he <em>knew<em>he was seeing things as nothing so far had been normal. From the swirling colors to the sudden onslaught of light, he was pretty sure things weren't as real as he knew them to be. In particular, however, for a moment it appeared as if Joey had a raccoon tail and soft puffy ears sticking out from the top of her head. He stared, mouth agape and eyes a little wide, as he tried to make sense of the nonsensical. She looked like she was dress in a Halloween costume; very real but almost cartoonish in their impossibility. They faded, however, and her clothes shifted on her body, morphing to the likings of the environment around them. It was, to say the least, bizarre. The Silver Path under his feet seemed to be stretching out on nothing for miles straight in front of him and directly behind him. It hovered in a three dimensional existence, like walking on glass that had nothing but vast space surrounding in all directions. It looked like someone dropped dozens of paint cans of varying color all around. It was hardly silver as its name would suggest as the colors were left to mix together randomly and then fade back to the bright silver for it's namesake. It caused the 'sky' and vacant space below the path to appear in a bright series of swirls. It made Leo's head hurt for how many colors appeared, some he couldn't even put a name to. He was struck then by Joey's talk of explaining red - he could explain these colors no more than he could red or blue. He could only experience them.

There was no light source, no sun and no bulbs, but the place was bright in an unnatural way that Leo's eyes had a hard time processing. Everything, in fact, seemed to be lit up with such intensity, it defied the norms. Leo couldn't tell if it was supposed to resemble inside or outside or something different all together. He thought his head would explode from the pressure of his confusion and the oddly thin air around him. The sick feeling in the pit of his stomach caused his body to shake some. He, however, never let go of the ordinary stone Joey had given him. Instead, he felt the grooves dig into the thick part of his palm, reminding him he was as real as the rock was. The rest of it...he couldn't be so sure.

"Take my hand." Joey's voice floated into his brain, though she'd already gathered his in hers before he could respond to her request. Her lips moved after she 'said' it and as they moved nothing came out, like there was a delay in the very space around them. It, however, felt good, for a moment - comfortable and familiar holding Joey's hand. Joey was the only thing in this place that remotely made sense. Where he couldn't place definitions to colors and smells, sounds and tastes, he could define Joey exactly as she was. He could feel her and she felt right, easing his soul of his surprise and panic. "Everything -" she'd started to say to him, but he heard a whisper off the Path. Just to his left was what appeared to be the circle archway into the sewer. He knew it all too well, having walked the pipes more times than he could count. It was Raph's voice that wafted against its walls, hitting the pipes and bouncing off to reach Leo's ears in an echo. _"Leo..."_ Raph choked - almost cried - out for his brother, _"Help me..."_Leo's feet and mind set on the voice, his determination rose and he took his first step in his brother's direction. He had no qualms about doing just that. The opening to the sewer was very real to Leo, enough that he momentarily forgot about Joey or the rock or anything that would remind him he wasn't actually home anymore.

"LEONARDO!"

Leo pulled back when he felt Joey roughly jerk him away from the archway. "But Raph needs me! I have to help him!" He snapped around, angrily at whoever dare stop him from getting to his sick brother. He focused in on Joey and pointed back behind him, where he'd heard the first cry for help. His eyes were ablaze with conviction and determination - he'd be damned if the smaller woman would stand in his way right then. She was staring at him in confusion, both eyebrows arched on her forehead. "No Leo...no - the Dreaming is a predator and you its very willing prey. It's trying to lure you off the Path so you'll be lost to it forever. If you go, you're doing exactly what it wants you to do. There's nothing there. Remember, your subconscious is here too along with everyone else's. It knows how to find you and what will lead you astray - what will lead you to temptation to leave safety. Everything is out to get you here, at all costs. You must stay with me, remember? You must not leave the Path. There's nothing there," She said it again, giving a pointed nod towards where Leo had been walking off to a moment later. "Look."

Leo blinked hard, confused by her words. "No...I heard him..." Leo looked over his shoulder sharply, but the familiar sewer pipe line was gone. Nothing but strange swirly backdrop lie beyond. His feet were dangerously close to the edge - he could see, as he looked down, the thin line that separated the nothingness with the narrow Path they occupied. Instead of the sewer, there were now some floating, vicious looking trees a few feet off the path. A neon pink fish 'swam' through the air in front of his face, hauntingly confusing for its absurdity. Dreams weren't meant to make sense, not in the traditional way - they were uninhibited by belief and, therefore, could be anything and everything that could quite literally be 'dreamed up'. Leo was momentarily shocked by what he had seen, so certain he had heard Raph's voice despite it being gone now. He set his eyes on Joey, frightened by how easily it had begun to lure him. When she had warned him, he had not been prepared for the possibility of what the Dreaming would us as bait. His hand squeezed firmly in hers, determined to focus and - like she had told him he must - trust her words. "What are we looking for here?" He asked, his voice oddly calm despite his insides shaking.

"I'll know when I find it." She answered nonchalantly.

"Well, that's not ominous or anything. We'll get far with that one." Leo responded simply, merely used to the backwards logic Joey had spouted in the last twenty-four hours. He had come to the conclusion that none of this was going to make sense - it was, after all, the end goal he was after. That was to find out what the ascot said in order to save Raph. Though it was as if his comment, and knowing he had no knowledge of this place, were directed at someone like Don and one of his highly scientific explanations. In that very second, before he could ask more questions, he heard baring music surrounded them. It seemed to be echoing off nothing, there were no walls for it to bounce from, but it rattled the Path beneath them for its intense volume. First, it was something terrible and poppy sounding - bubbly in its tune. "Do hear that!" It took all of Leo's concentration to keep from being distracted and lured away to discover its source, and end it, but he had focus that perhaps no one else on the planet could wrangle.

"YES!" Joey exclaimed, almost excitedly. It certainly didn't fit with the part of Leo that was mostly confused and worried by the suddenness of everything that happened in this crazed place.

"And you think that's good?" Leo wished his hands were free so he could clap them to the side of his head. Instead, he squinted his eyes some. He couldn't explain why, but the intense sound waves hurt even his eyeballs for how it seemed like he had his face pressed up against the speaker of some wild concert. They had to be hearing different things if she could be excited by it. It was then, as everything in this place just seemed to appear as sporadically as a dream could be, that a door appeared before them, right in the middle of the Path.

"It's great!" She threw the door open with one hand, still holding tight to Leo.

"No! Joey!" Leo hissed, certainly she was pulling them off the path in a similar way he had almost done a moment before. He didn't realize that the door, on the Path, was safe.

"Trust me!" She answered his skepticism, and jerked Leo through it before he could argue more. It was shocking for Leo as they passed through, the transformation was so very real he was easily pulled into it. The music was different beyond the door; less painful and hard to listen to, but still loud and echoing. It was something he couldn't understand and didn't have time to try. It was dark, as if they'd passed into a venue meant to house such sounds. There were hundreds of people crammed on the floor in a large crowd, all facing in one direction towards a platform. None of them, all human - little Asian women mostly - seemed to care that there was a bi-pedal turtle pushing through the crowded floor. They were, instead, completely mesmerized by the stage. Their hands moved the same in some bizarre dance and they jumped in harmony as the music blared. It appeared to be a concert of some sort, though Leo was too disoriented to actually figure out where the music was coming from.

"WHAT ARE WE DOING?" He shouted at Joey over the live music blaring. His only tether to her right then was her hand as he couldn't fully see her even with the flashing stage lights.

"JUST COME ON - if I took the time to explain..." she was cut off, however, as the crowd pushed forward. Joey and Leo were crushed against the front bar of the floor, only a small space separating them from the stage, as they'd waded their way through the whole crowd. Five, Leo noted. There were five men on stage, all absorbed in the rock song they were playing out on their various instruments. He knew the language wasn't his own primary one, yet he could understand it easily without translating it, as he would be able to under normal circumstances. No, right then it was as if it was his only language. It was as if he and Mikey were five again, playing pretend. Mikey insisted they were in Russia because he'd just learned where that place was on the map. And his babble was meant to be Russian and at the time, Leo had pretended back that he understood Mikey. They had yapped at each other in words that might be gibberish to those listening, but they believed they were truly speaking the language. Therefore, both he and Mikey did speak it as the rules of pretend didn't apply to reality. Those that believed in pretend - in magic - would have heard Russian coming from their lips. This rule seemed to be existent in the square of subconscious they were in now as Leo applied the Japanese as his only language.

It was as his eyes swept over the stage that he started to piece parts of this illusion together. It wasn't part of his subconscious...it was Joey's. The five Asian men on the stage were all unfamiliar to him save one. His hand left Joey's to reach for his single Katana, the other left in the field of grass, but the woman caught his wrist. "NO!" She hissed to him, jerking his arm so that his fingers slipped against the katana's handle grip.

Leo's eyes were fiercely set on Yuki, behind the drum set; unconcerned and beating his instrument with skill and wild expertise. A laugh escaped him as he twirled his drum stick and went back to pouring his life into it. He was frustrated by Joey's stopping him - Yuki was a danger, a threat, and Leo's brain instantly jumped to the man he knew, the vampire. Not the man he had been told about.

Joey's hand slipped from Leo's and, unlike anything that would be possible at any real show, she hauled herself over the guard rail and pulled herself up on stage. Leo hadn't the chance to even stop her - her adrenaline and random act was too much for him in this place that often felt like he was moving through molasses. But he did lean over the edge, reaching for her as he watched with wide eyes. "YUKI!" She seemed momentarily caught up in the dream of it and Leo was left unblinking, horrified of being left in the sea of tiny Asian fan girls alone. He didn't want to be separated from Joey. She was the only thing real here, he would surely be lured by this scary place without her. Nightmares were very real, he was realizing that much. And this could easily become a nightmare.

The second she was on stage, the performers all seemed to notice it and Yuki's sticks fell to the floor. "Joa-hee-chan!" His mouth moved, but Leo couldn't hear his words. The little Asian man stumbled from the spot behind all those cymbals and drums. He met her with all his force and they seemed to crash together instantly. Their lips fastened immediately and their arms tangled around each other. As it happened, the stage began to fall away, as if it crumbled around them. He was certain that they were going to disappear with it and he scrambled some. The bar that had been holding him up disappeared and he felt forward, landing on his knees with a sudden force that rocked his entire body. The weight of him against the 'glass' like surface of the path - as it was back once more - sent a crack through it that resembled a spider web.

"No!" Leo hissed, scared that it too would fall away beneath him and he would 'step' off into the abyss has Joey had warned. He was by himself right then, terrified by what was happening. Leo jerked around in his spot, climbing gracefully to his feet as he prepared himself for whatever came next. Like little bubbles, made from the laughter and sun filled summer days of children and their soap covered wands complete with a hole on the end, the crowd popped out of existence; one-by-one in rapid succession. The noise was deafening to Leo as he heard a dull ring follow the nothingness, the lack of music and screaming fans.

The scenery built back up around as quickly as it broke away. The path faded way into a tatame floor beneath Leo's feet, which was familiar. There were sheer screens held in the wooden architecture that he found soothing too as this type of decoration was comfortable for Leo. On the wall of the simply furnished room, he immediately spotted a picture of Joey on Yuki's back. He had his arms hooked under her knees and she had her hands over her head with two peace sings shooting out from each hand and Yuki's face in a wild laugh. This must have been their home, he deduced. It was comfortable, quiet and serene in a way that Leo could truly appreciate. He too found peace in such a home, clearly Japanese in nature. Had he shoes on his feet, he would have been compelled to take them off to honor such deeply important Japanese customs.

He could hear the laugh from down the hallway. He had been told, by Joey herself, that Yuki laughed...a lot. He followed the sound, his hand closing harder around the stone. His only real reminder. "For Raph." He whispered to himself, gathering all of his conviction. He padded across the soft floor, his feet barely making sound for his grace. He pushed one of the screens aside, letting it slide easily as it was meant to open. Joey was seated across from Yuki on the floor at a low table, her clothing having faded into a simply tied kimono. In fact, Leo felt slightly out of place for his guards and face mask - he felt as if he too should be wearing a kimono on his massive shelled body, just to offer his respect to them and their home. There were three place settings, with an empty spot awaiting him, and a small plate of sushi sat in the middle of table. Yuki looked up to him from where he too knelt at the table.

"Kame." He greeted with a bright smile, unbothered by the fact that Leo was a turtle. Of all the weird things Leo had witnessed thus far, he was hardly phased by Yuki's acceptance - particularly in a dream. "We've been waiting for you." It was highly unnerving for Leo to watch him speak so softly, so kindly and hospitable. The man he knew, the one he'd seen, was vile and evil. This one, with peach skin and eyes that were clearly alive troubled the leader. He couldn't seem to fully differentiate yet he couldn't correlate them either. It made a bubble of guilt grow in his chest - if this was what Yuki once was, the spirit that was housed underneath the monster he appeared to be, Leo felt remorse of having taken his life. It was Joey's words before that calmed him some. She had said the man he killed had long ago been dead - all he did was take the body. It only eased Leo some, however, as he was still struck by what had once been for the man's life he took. No matter how evil he turned, the fact that he was once a good man was stuck in Leo's head. This place was twisting his mind into misshapen knots and impossible ties. He could feel it and that too made him uneasy. "You are a friend of my Joa-hee-chan, ne?" He asked in soft Japanese, though it sounded like English to Leo when he heard it, or perhaps the English sounded like Japanese - he couldn't be sure. Again, it was the magic distorting any normal thought processes he was having. As he knew both languages, he couldn't tell which was being spoken - it was simply that he knew what words Yuki was making.

"Hai." Joey answered before Leo could. She looked up to him. A bright smile crossed her face too, one unlike Leo had ever seen her wear in the whole of the time he'd known her. She looked happy - it was as if the pure magic of this place, the Dreaming, was fueling her spirit. And, Leo figured, maybe it was - he might not understand all the theory and philosophy behind what she was, but he could see the effects of it. A pang of regret passed through him and, for a second, he almost wished he could make her smile like that. Like Yuki appeared to. She had created this dream because it was what was inside her, while Leo wished for a moment that he held that importance in her life. It was entirely irrational and later he would blame it on the Dreaming itself for the wave of feeling that washed over him. "He is my friend, Yuki-sama." Joey inched over on her knees and reach out to Leo with her hand. He looked at her exposed palm for a moment, considering her words. He, in turn, reached back and placed his hand comfortably in hers. Her eyes danced as she smiled up to him, pleased with his silent agreement. She had called him a friend - it felt as warm as her hand in his cold-blooded one.

Leo so rarely had a friend like this - he had his brothers, he was tied to them by a bond that was near impossible to recreate. But when it was boiled down to its basics, he would always have them - Leo was, in a way, stuck to his brothers. He didn't get to choose to have them in his life, though he didn't mind it. The same with Master Splinter. Casey and April were friends, but he didn't feel connected to them in the way he did Joey. She felt like a real friend to him, someone he picked to be around and in turn, was picked by her. Casey had picked Raph and April mostly looked to help and be helped. Joey...she was just a friend and Leo felt good to be able to say, for once in his life, he had a friend that was all his.

He refrained from saying 'Really? I'm your friend?' but the words crossed his mind as he folded his legs under himself at their table. He didn't want to question it; he would much rather just go with the confession. The food looked delicious and when he freed his hand (not holding the stone) from Joey's grip, he lifted the chopsticks next to his plate. Joey nodded, encouragingly. It was the most delicious piece of food he'd ever put in his mouth - ever. He didn't bother wondering if he'd fabricated the taste because he knew whatever he wanted to believe could happen here or if it was because it actually was the most delectable bit of sushi he'd ever experienced. It didn't matter; it felt real and he was once more consumed with the idea that this was...in its own way...a real place. A place that was as real as he wanted it to be. That was how the Dreaming captured people; it was so real that it felt like life already, so why return?

He too was distracted by the surroundings and the polite conversation to let the itching reminder of their mission take his focus away. He was surprised to find that Yuki, as a human, was very likable. He found it almost his duty to learn more of this man, to respect and understand who he was underneath, as he had taken away his only chance at living once more. He was just a man, a mundane as she called them - no special magical connection, no different than Casey or April. He was into video games when he wasn't practicing his drums and liked to eat anything and everything he could get his hands on. And coffee...he _loved _coffee. Leo even forgot that there was a magical tattoo looped around his wrist that, though Leo couldn't read it in the real world, saw it said 'Elisabeth Penn' rather than the obscure, archaic language he didn't understand. He was full of life, but mostly stupid laughter that was influenced by almost everything said. The swatch of blond hair across his forehead shook every time he laughed and sometimes it made Leo laugh too.

It was free here. Where dreams dwell, everything felt good and perfect. Leo could see why people craved a good dream, why it would be so appealing to just step off the path and stay here. Forever. Leo himself felt accepted, publically.

"Yuki-sama." Joey finally said, setting her chopsticks down carefully on her empty plate. "We can't stay much longer. Leo can't handle this place and well...as much as I am gleaning from it, I can't stay forever. But I did want to find you. I need your help - we need it." Leo had a moment of regret as Joey brought the conversation back to their mission. He'd, among the meeting and casual conversation, forgotten Raph entirely. It was perhaps his deepest desire to, for one moment of his life, feel the burden of being a leader fall from his shoulders. Where he could just be comfortable in his own skin, enjoying a moment of absolute serenity. He was, in that moment, swept back to Japan and the warm feelings he got from it - the peace. It was, partly, he was sure, this place which was playing tricks on his mind.

It was then, in that instant, that Leo had a dawning realization. Joey could stay here. This place was giving her magic, as she said, and filling her up with what the world beyond lacked and often destroyed about her. She could remain, forever in the life she was robbed of. However, he knew she wouldn't - she had said she couldn't stay. She meant to return with him, to help Raph and his family. His eyes lingered on her for a minute. That sacrifice spoke to his soul in a way no one else had before. He could appreciate her desire to help, innately and so easily, because he had that same passion burning in his chest. She was, no matter how disagreeable she pretended to be, a hero in her own way. He was left inspired, in momentary awe, of her selflessness. For a moment, his world and life wasn't all that different from hers. He protected people too, it was just that Joey was protecting them - he and his family - in a way he hadn't noticed fully until then. His subconscious mind, in the Dreamland, connected with his sensible logic driven one and he was stunned to find that the admired her it. She had, on many occasions infuriated him, she certainly tested his patience, but he admired that too. Once more a pang of unfair jealous shot through him for how softly she treated Yuki.

He couldn't help but remember the things that Yuki had said in the club - the fact that he had literally thrown her to the hungry, mad wolves to be devoured like a pack of meat. He seemed like a good man, he certainly was before being turned...just not good enough for Joey.

"Anything Joa-hee-shi, anything." He told her, leaning across the table and taking her hand. Joey recoiled a little and Leo was confused for a moment by the action. He had assumed, because of the way the dream had swept Joey up earlier, that she was smitten with seeing Yuki once more. But it seemed to be the opposite as Joey was overly cautious. Leo was grateful for it.

"I need you to read this." She reached in the sleeve of her kimono and pulled out the ascot, slipping it onto the clean table top.

Yuki's head drew back on his neck and he flinched. "No no...don't." She spoke quickly. Yuki's spirit, the thing that Joey had explained to Leo returned to the Dreaming, was the one before them. This was a manifestation of him, what he'd been and not what he was upon his death and then undead life. His fear and hesitation came from the dark nature of the ascot, the clear indication that something was amiss as there was dried blood on it. Joey reached out and caught his wrist. "The Yuki I know, the one here and now, would want to help people. Leo, our friend, his brother is dying. And this has the answer. Absolve yourself of the monster you were and tell us, please, what this says." She smoothed out the fabric. "Bits of your spirit, who you were, remained in the real world until you were finally abolished. You can live in peace here. Forever, but first - please, help us Yuki-sama." Joey pleaded. "You can read it, I know you can. Save Leo's brother. Please."

Yuki was clearly grappling with something internally as he looked from Leo to Joey and back to the blood covered cloth. "I would be in your debt." Leo bowed his head to Yuki.

"Very well." Yuki finally sighed, shifting in his spot to better situate himself at the table. "Your payment shall be caring for Joa-hee-shi in my absence. Please...make her laugh and smile more." Yuki charged Leo with his task and Joey offered Leo a sideways smirk. He was already keen on fulfilling the request and then some. He had long ago decided, without his own knowledge until now, that his hope was to just make her happy, whatever avenue that would might take him.

"Oh he's got that down, slick. No need to worry. Now get to telling us what this says - we haven't got much time left before he overdoses on more magic than he can handle." She tapped the table. Leo's eyes flickered over to her, concerned by the idea that he might get truly sick from the magic his body was absorbing. He didn't have time or the mindset to ask questions of it, mostly because he figured that might speed things up. If he began to question magic, as it poured into it, perhaps that would only cause the contradictions to clash and explode - literally and figuratively - inside of his body.

Yuki leaned over the fabric. He studied it for a few moments, tracing the bloody lines with his finger. He turned up to the both of them, eyes grave and filled with sorrow. "It's a curse, ancient in nature. Elisabeth, Elisa...it says she must die and her blood used to heal the wound of the one pierced, if you hope for the victim to survive that is. Otherwise, the curse will just keep eating him away. Eating him alive until he can breathe no longer and you'll lose your brother." Yuki's gaze shifted back down to the cloth, studying the dried blood further. He nodded a moment later, as if affirming that was the case. "She must die."

All the color drained from Joey's face. "Kill a vampire? That old? Really? Like we haven't been trying to do that for years." Leo frowned at that - it didn't seem so impossible. He himself had killed a vampire - he had enough confidence in their ability and strength to believe they could do it. In fact, he would have already if he knew this was the solution to Raph's illness. He would have done it that night. What Leo didn't know, or perhaps any of them, was that Elisa hadn't turned Raph - either into a vampire or a blood doll - because it required giving her blood back to him. She had merely bitten him on the roof top, giving him a taste of the pleasure that came with a vampire bite, but refrained from exchanging any of her own. If she had, it would have only served their purpose to reverse parts of the curse. She knew this and that's was why she kept from sharing parts of herself with the turtle - it was why he wasn't her doll already.

Yuki nodded a single time. "It is her away of offering an impossible challenge. He will die before you'll be able to kill her and take her blood to heal the wound."

"How?" Leo didn't seem worried by the possibility of Raph dying first. In fact, he was intent on making sure that much didn't happen. He would do everything and anything to ensure that Raph survived this and Elisa died, even if it was at the hands of his two katana. "How do we heal the wound with her blood?" Leo was determined and wanted the facts. The second he knew the hows, he could jump forward with action and make this all go away as he had promise Raph he would.

Yuki shrugged. "Magic? I don't know. That's just what it says. I know nothing of medicine. Magical or regular."

"Well fortunately I have two people back home that do. They can figure it out. Shiki will only be able to stave off Raph's slow progressing death for so long. We gotta get back there and help them, now. Before its too late. Who knows how long we've been gone by now. We have to find her." She told Leo sharply, full of conviction and now direction.

He offered her a firm nod. Joey reached out and took his hand again, squeezing it. "We'll save him Leo." She then turned back to Yuki. She leaned across the table and pressed her lips light to his cheek. "Thank you, Yuki-sama. For making sense of that which we couldn't. I'll miss you. This is...goodbye." She told him and Leo watched her spill a single tear. A final one - one of closure.

Mere seconds after she said it, the room once more melted away and the two of them were left sitting alone on the Silver Path. The ascot sat between the two of them, lightweight on the path's surface. "How is it that he could read it?" Leo asked softly, reaching out and touching the cloth as he gathered it in his free hand. He looked up to Joey who shook her head swiftly. She reached over and placed an index finger against his lips to silence him.

"Don't do that." She instructed before she trailed her hand down to touch where his fist still clutched the rock. "It just is...don't start questioning it now. We needed someone to understand it, to make sense of it for us...and he could. Simple as that, Leo. Does it matter how? Just that we know now...we can save Raph. We can save your brother." She enclosed her hand around his fist and sighed some, closing her eyes for a moment. Leo watched her, unsure of what she was doing. He was focused, instead, on her face and how soft she looked - everything, in fact, seemed so calm now as even the air around the path was still.

"You called him slick?" Leo asked quietly, curious and anxious for her answer. It had been plaguing him since she first started speaking, as they ate. It was such a particular name she had for him, one of clear endearment as she never really called him Yuki without it being serious.

"Yeah. I call you hot shot. So?" She shrugged.

Leo dipped his head down some, partly out of embarrassment for pointing out something that might mean nothing. It, however, felt like something to him. "It just seems..."

Joey hesitated too as Leo drew out his words in the form of a question. Leo watched a reddish color spot her cheeks, like little pink pillows. She said something she hadn't meant to, as if given something a way - a secret code of sorts and now it dawned on her, as it did him in the same instant. He knew, in that instant of silence, that - as he had been the only one she continuously referred to by a nickname of her own creation and by her reaction - that it was actually significant. He wasn't just Leo to her, just as Yuki wasn't just Yuki. He was, instead, endeared to her as 'hot shot' instead. He assumed that he too had earned her respect as she had for him that day.

"Right. Let get back to Raph." She said with a clearing of her throat, trying her best to skate by the momentary lapse of silence that ebbed between them awkwardly.

Leo nodded in agreement. It was as they were standing, though he wasn't too sure how getting out of this place would work, that something dawned on him. He then caught her by the arm, stopping her from moving all together. "Wait." He hissed, frowning some. "Can we...communicate with them? Here. It'll take a day to get back, they'll worry. It might even take longer depending on what hour it is now. I can't travel in the city easily during daylight hours. Can we talk to them in their dreams? You said everyone's consciousness exists here, does that include my brother's? If this place is where their dreams live, can't we warn them and tell them we have the answers? That we are coming soon with them?"

In an instant, a grin sprouted across Joey's face. "You're a genius!" Joey commended, patting his forearm in congratulations. "Who dreams the most - the biggest?"

* * *

><p><em>'Leo's in my head, dudes!'<em>

_Not New York, that's for sure - I remember thinking. Mikey's head, not New York. Mikey had screamed to wake us all up. He was like a kid at Christmas, wanting to see what Santa brought. Just as annoying. Even the big black bird perched on the back of the couch, watching over Raph's sickly form, bustled in the sudden noise._

_'He's in my head, dudes! I was having this crazy dream and then suddenly Leo was there! He says we have to kill that vampire chick to save Raph. Joey was there too, said I had to trust what I was hearing. Its not just a dream, she said! Its REAL. Guys! She said to get ready, they're coming back and we'll get her! And then Raph'll be back to his peachy keen self, with rainbows and sunshine coming outta his you know where. YES! See, I told you...Leo'd figure it out. I told you, didn't I Don? He was in my head, for real. Good thing he came in after that dream about the girl and whipped cream...'_

_Mikey was excited. Very excited. Even for Mike. Don said we should get all the rest we could then and Payton went to check on Ash. It was sort of hard to believe and trust Mikey, mostly because it could just be a dream for him. But Payton had insisted that we listen him, that Joey must have taken Leo into the Dreaming for whatever reason. Hell if I knew what that meant, but if it was the only answer we had, I figured I shouldn't question it. I didn't have anything better to do to help Raph. Splinter was petting the bird's head, asking for his assistance after the battle was over. I was pretty sure Shiki couldn't understand him in that birdy body, but he did keep cocking his head all over the place as Splinter spoke._

_Me...I knew what I was going to do. If Leo said she had to die, for Raph to live, then she'd die. Too bad he left out the details..._

* * *

><p><strong>::Author's Note::<strong>

One more chapter to go!


	15. You Live and You Burn

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets**  
>Chapter Thirteen:<br>You Live and You Burn

"I told you already, I'm not crazy. I would do it again and I have no remorse for what I did. I got the idea from Ash anyhow. So I just did it. I went there with the intention to burn that place to the ground. If it meant killing that fanged bitch to save Raph, I would again too. Fire kills them, that's what Joey said. None of that garlic bullshit or the stake through the heart - you cut its head off or you light it on fire or stick it out in the sun. Only you know, I didn't really have much of a weapon to go cutting off heads. I figured I'd cover my bases and just blaze the place. So much for that."

There was a long pause as the man reading the notebook Casey had been writing in for the better part of the day slapped it shut. Casey's last words, read aloud, hung in the air heavily. "This is riveting literature, as if written by a middle schooler, Dr. Lionel. Tell me, you are aware of how ridiculous this all is. The lengths you're going to defend this man are laughable. Have you read this? Never mind the fact that you're often presented in this rather ridiculous tale. And the implication that my client, the victim I might add, is a thousand year old vampire is quite ridiculous too. Tell me, does she look like a vampire? If so, where are her fangs? Her lust for blood? Please, enlighten me. What am I missing?" The man in the crisp suit pointed over his shoulder at a very highly dressed and perfect poised fair skinned woman. She was beautiful - strikingly so - and appeared to be of high status for the quality of her clothing and certainly for the fact that she had enough money to pay for the best lawyer New York had to offer.

Payton sighed heavily.

"It was her place of business, her livelihood that was demolished by your patient. And the reason he gives is because his turtle friend was dying from a curse she placed on him? Can you explain a word of this gibberish? Half of it isn't even in English, I don't think. Let me tell you, a jury will love the decorations on the sides as well - manipulation by your patient, I'm sure. A criminal paints himself to be a victim...a clinically diagnosed mental patient doesn't know the difference. This thing doesn't prove Arnold Jones is insane, just that he's a criminal and a bad one at that. He was laughing, hysterically at the scene of the crime and he openly admits to his crime in this notebook...in writing."

"I can explain." Payton cleared his throat. He shifted some, squaring his shoulders so that he sat straight up in his lab coat and dress clothes. "Ash's apartment building was burned recently." His eyes settled on the woman who offered him a thin lipped smile at the name of Payton's brother. Though he was speaking to her lawyer, his voice even and calm, still soft as Payton always was. "But we hardly had anything to do with that. We weren't even home when it happened. Besides with my brother's...condition...fire is hardly something that would last long should he have been home. Soot residue is more filthy than anything. And it's not uncommon for patients to feature their doctors as part of their fantasy. Particularly in a case as unique and emotionally charged as Mr. Jones." Payton explained matter-of-factly. He too had been building his own defense against this man, clearly prepared for his questioning prior to actually having to testify.

"He feels like the victim and therefore is aggressive to defend, even against me who wouldn't be his enemy. I'm merely trying to help. His illness is certainly not a crime nor is the insanity caused by it. What happened at Ms. Penn's club was not deliberate, but the act of a mad man. His delusions led him to commit a crime unconsciously and this entire ordeal has done nothing but make my efforts to heal him useless. He is in need of medical attention, not a jail cell. He shouldn't be treated as a petty villain. Lyme disease often takes years to manifest, long after its been contracted. Mr. Jones likely caught it as a child on his grandmother's farm. I hear that dear ticks are rampant up there, particularly in tamed tall grass and brush. It just took until his adult life for it to become this advanced, where it would deteriorate enough of his sense to fabricate such a world. I need more time before he can be tried. I assure you, he's suffering. You will be putting an innocent man behind bars when I could save him from himself."

"Deteriorate." The pompous lawyer scoffed with an arrogant chuckle, clearly unconcerned with any of what Payton pleaded. In fact, he was most amused by Payton's efforts. The lawyer leaned forward, pushing the journal in Payton's direction so that it slid across the solid oak table top. "The only thing deteriorating is his brain from the time he left high school. Most of this is barely legible. Stop protecting him, Dr. Lionel and let the criminal face justice. Really? Walking, talking turtles and a girl who can break reality? A giant rat and some man with wings? That's not crazy - it's an excuse. A poorly put together one - but an excuse no less. You and I both know that where such a disease can manifest, there is no such rhythm and rhyme to the insanity it causes. Pockets or episodes of lapsed judgement, perhaps...never such an extensive world as this man has created. No judge or jury in the state of New York is going to get him off on a plea of insanity. He burned that building down and hurt and killed a lot of people. Manslaughter and arson are hardly forgiven acts, Dr. Lionel. Come on Elisabeth, we're done here."

She stood, gracefully and proud, on her lawyer's cue. Down the bridge of her nose, she looked at Payton pointedly. Another slim smile crossed her lips, almost mocking though still pretty. "I'll pray for a night hearing, just to humor you and yours. Pathetic." She laughed. Payton sank into his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. He seemed frustrated and defeated by Elisabeth and the lawyer's words. The click of heels against the floor was unmistakable as Elisabeth left with her lawyer, leaving Payton alone in the office full of patient files, Casey's included.

"Oh and Dr. Lionel." The woman's voice rang back into his office, making Payton's breath catch in his throat as he waited for her to fully speak. "For the record, I'm not terribly fond of fire, but I suspect it would burn you to death too. I'll sue you too, if you had anything to do with this." She batted her eyelashes at him, almost playfully though Payton seemed hardly amused as their eyes met. "So you better hope you can get your patient talking sense soon. Oh and get him a good attorney who speaks retard; you'll want someone to translate for him. I'd like to hear your darkest secrets, sing them if you wish, should you not think this patient of yours is off his rocker." She wiggled her fingers at him in a wave, winked, and let the door fall shut behind her. It thudded loud enough to shake the diploma hanging on the wall beside the door, nearly crashing it to the floor.

Again, Payton sighed.

* * *

><p><strong>::Author's Note::<strong>  
>Now, we offer a cross roads to our readers. You have two options for this story...either to accept it as you see it now. That is to say, to accept that Casey is crazy and made up our boys in green and everything that led his life to be what it is. Including the last twelve chapters of this story (14 technically, with prefaces and gaidens). If so, if that is a story that satisfies you, please, by all means...stop here. You can certainly take the story as it is, filling the holes as you wish for Casey's fate; jail or the insane asylum.<p>

Or...

For the rest of you, believers and dreamers, please feel free to continue on with the final bit of epilogue to 'Sing to Me Your Darkest Secrets: Part I'. Those who embrace the ideas written throughout the story, and believe in them the way that Casey believes in them, continue on. We hope to see you there, but don't wish to push our ideas and beliefs onto you. For those of you choosing the second path...the second story, as it were...we've only just begun.

Please...let us know what you think. We'd love to hear.

* * *

><p>"Did he call me gay again?"<p>

Payton's head jerked up at the voice. It was familiar, even toned - almost lazy - but it wafted through the room like a cool breeze compared to the lawyers grilling of the doctor. Ash was standing in the door way, his hands slipped into his pockets. He looked gaunt still, having only recently recovered from his stint as a doll once more. Splinter had done everything he could to help purge him of the addiction, of the withdrawals that came even from just one taste of vampire blood.

"Many times." Payton retorted softly, almost apologetically. "And we're never going to get him out of this mess he made for himself if he doesn't knock it off. I told him this was the only way - I meant if he cooperated. If he keeps this up, there won't be a solution anymore. If he gets put in jail there will be nothing...and I mean NOTHING standing between him and a whole host of vampires ready to eat his soul. I can't protect him there - here, I can be his doctor and pretend...prolong...Elisabeth's plan. They won't give a shit if a criminal suddenly disappears from the jail or turns up dead, drained of all his blood. Just another seedy member of society lost - you think that place is safe? Does he? I'm beginning to think he is actually crazy!" Payton barked, growing steadily more and more heated as he was clearly flustered and upset. "And she's not helping!" He hissed, pointing at the door where Elisa had left only moments before.

Payton sank back into his chair, leaning his head back against the cushion as he started to simmer some. "At least here...he has us...even if you have to play nuts."

"Oh no Payton, I am nuts. There's no pretending." Ash offered a lazy lopsided grin at his brother.

Payton sighed again - it seemed all he ever could do lately. He reached over and grabbed the journal, fanning the pages for a moment. "Listen to this...'It was only after everyone went to bed that the idea actually came to me. I wasn't waiting until Joey and Leo got back from God knows where...that would take too long. What if Raph was dead by then? No, I was going to get this over with now. I started this mess, I would finish it...for Raph. For Raph. So I left without them all knowing, before anyone could stop me. I could hear Don, he would try to reason with me to stay...wait until Leo got back with answers...or Mikey, telling me it was a bad idea to go alone. Or Payton and Shiki, they'd tell me I didn't know what I was doing. Hell if I cared...I was killing a vampire, I knew what I was doing.'" Ash was quiet, listening, as Payton read out loud from Casey's scrawled writings.

"It's bad enough that we have a dying turtle on our hands out there. Shiki can only help for so long and Joey can't protect them from everything. Every day that passes, Raph's getting worse and worse. If he had just listened...for one second, given us time before he ran off and decided to fix this one on his own...we might not be in this situation. God...with Elisa in the spotlight now, we'll never get to her in time. He's going to die, Ash...I don't know what else to do. It's been..." Payton rolled his eyes up to the ceiling, trying to recall how long. "Seven days. It's a wonder Raph is still alive. I don't want to let another person die because of these things."

"Calm down." Ash slipped into the office and smoothed out the awkward white outfit he was situated in, issued by the very institution they were in. "We'll figure it out. We always do...somehow. We'll figure this one out too. We've got help. Remember? The turtles and Joey and Shiki too...we can do this."

Payton seemed unimpressed by his brother's words, clearly having been plagued by the possibilities for a week now. He had to pretend not to be worried, pretend not to believe Casey's words, all the while Raph was dying and they were trying to get at Elisa. It was worse when she was danging right in from of him, a centimeter out of reach. "I'm not a shrink Ash. This pretend is only going to last so long, just because I'm a doctor doesn't mean I can fake this forever. You know, it wasn't bad enough that Raph was on his deathbed. Is rather. Now every vampire, Elisa's clan or not, has a mark on Casey's head. He attacked one of their own - one of the highest ranking members, even if he never got near her. At least when Leo killed Yuki, he wasn't important enough. Elisa is different. In public, no less! The threatened her life. 'Life'! Last I heard, more than two hundred and ten vampires died in that blaze. Full out died because of Casey's stupidity. Not that killing vampires is dumb, it just has to be done properly. Thank GOD, I never thought I'd say this, Elisa survived. We need her blood Ash."

The leery brother shuddered at the very mention of the viscous substance. It seemed to disturb him for a second before he pulled himself together enough to snap out of his horror. He reached over and stopped Payton from fidgeting, as the doctor had been shuffling and ruffling through the pages of the journal.

"Payton...we'll figure it out." Ash said again, his voice stern and strong as he reiterated his belief in their ability. "For now, you need to help make sure he stays out of jail. Drag out the possibility of trial. I'll handle the rest." A slim smile crossed Ash's lips dangerously.

...**  
><strong>


	16. We Can Only Hope to Forget

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>**Part II  
><strong>Preface:  
><span>We Can Only Hope to Forget<span>

_"How did you ever befriend a man like that?" Ash placed a cup of coffee on Don's work desk for him. The turtle leaned up to look over the rim and into the black depths of the dark roast. The aroma was overwhelming as it soaked into the air and dotted all around Don's head. He could smell nothing but the sweat nectar of coffee beans. They didn't often get the best comforts in the sewers, and Ash rarely left the lab as it was. Don knew it was because it was the place that was the most like a conventional living space within their home and Ash - he was crazy. But the coffee those Lionel boys brought with them was the good stuff, Don knew the difference between it and the kind he was used to. He felt spoiled for it - even for Ash bringing it to him as he didn't often have such higher quality things. Ash even knew how he liked it, with one spoon of sugar and no cream. He was meticulous if nothing else._

_Frankly, Don liked the company. He could do without Ash's need to move everything in the lab so it was in line with everything else or even when all his papers were shuffled together in neat little stacks. He had considered asking Ash to make notes for where he put everything after he was done 'cleaning up', where really it satisfied Ash's obsessive need for neatness. But he knew that would be futile as Ash didn't really notice he was doing it. Don smiled softly, it was a sad smile, the best he could do under the circumstances. Ash, in fact, rarely left the sewer at all. Payton had to give him a sedative once to get him to go in there. Another time, Don himself had taken his mask off and placed it around Ash's eyes, backward so he couldn't see and led him personally down through the tunnels. He had had to instruct him not to touch anything. An episode of Ash's magnitude for his obsessive compulsive disorder might land him back in the nut house should he accidentally place his hand in any of the many things that lined the sewer walls._

_Don had asked him, after that, why it was that Ash was willing to take his hand yet not touch a public door handle. It had been particularly baffling the time Donnie watched him pick up a cup after Mikey - of all people - had drank out of it. Mike was the sort to blow spit bubbles into the edge of a cup just to watch the liquid dance for his amusement. Ash explained that they were 'safe' because he knew them, it didn't make sense yet at the same time it sort of did. Regardless of the cause Don, strangely, considered himself fortunate to be 'safe' to one of the most meticulously clean people on the planet. Certainly the most strangely tidy person he knew. Good thing Ash, consciously, never went into Mikey's room._

_It had been explained, by Ash himself, how he broke his addiction so quickly and how Donnie should not take what he'd seen as something Don should ever make a standard. Ash had recovered from it once before and he spent less than a day with the vampires. Most addictions were built for months, if not years, Mia - the doll that Raph and Casey had watched die, was Kenshin's personal toy for more than ten years. He was favored for his visiugo blood and treated like a favored lap dog. Mia, likely, had he been freed, would never have been able to break his addition. Not ever. Those were words that frightened the turtle, particularly after having felt the tantalizing bite himself and that wasn't even with the shared blood of the vampire, in which he knew caused an intoxicating magical high. He couldn't imagine lasting minutes with the bite, let alone craving it for years._

_"He just doesn't seem..." Ash paused thoughtfully, his stoic voice seemed to trail off abstractly. It was odd for him as the man rarely did anything, save the mindless cleaning, without some direction or plan, including speaking. "Your speed." He glanced at the purple masked turtle who was also watching him. Ash - like always - was absentmindedly smoothing out the papers on Donnie's desk so they were flush with the edge and none sat out of that perfect little line. That was, at least, until Ash went to smoothing out the front of his button down shirt._

_A soft smile tugged at the corner of Donnie mouth as he watched Ash and his unconscious compulsion, but more than that, it was a sad little smile which was directed at the human man. Naturally for him, Ash wouldn't understand why any company made a difference. Don, however, was willing to accept any company they could possibly get. "Perhaps. And maybe he's not 'my speed', but it's nice to have friends. We don't really have that happen often." Donnie pulled the papers out of the manila folder that was situated on his desk. He wasn't sure if he wanted to look at them just yet but he knew he had to. "Casey met Raph first. He's sort of, well, Raph's friend." Don added as he peeked down at the papers somewhat shyly, a thing that Don sometimes exhibited when he was internally questioning his self worth without entirely realizing that he sometimes existentially questioned his role in the life of those around him._

_"Raph gets to meet everyone. He brought you and Payton into the mix too." Don pointed out, almost amused by the concept. He couldn't imagine having constant interaction with people like that - he didn't understand them as it were. He would much rather let his brothers do the talking and he would interact with those select few that stuck around. _

_Ash shifted in his spot and forced his hands into his pockets. "Yeah." He said plainly. "But if I could take that back, I would. You guys would be better off if they hadn't been there that 'd be safer and none the wiser."_

_Don wasn't sure if he wanted to agree or disagree. It was a cross roads he didn't want to considered fully. He certainly enjoyed the additional company as they were good people to be around. Their mutations caused them to be anti-social in so many ways, but they were actually quite people oriented. Even Raph, he craved the approval of those he saved and was often left bitter and disgusted by their lack of gratitude. Don might not understand Shiki's rather philosophical and theological view of the world. Even if it wasn't housed in a dogmatic ritualistic religion, it was still a religion all it's own as it was based so heavily in belief and faith. That was a plane of consciousness that Don couldn't understand. _

_However, he enjoyed listening to Shiki and the knowledge he had. Don didn't know much of horticulture and he learned a lot from Shiki's nature based medicine, with herbs and spices. Daichi, whom had come into their lives as well, was better suited for Leo as they were often left talking. Their focused minds and dedicated demeanor gave them an understanding that Don could see being appealing to his brother, and that was why Leo got along with him so well. Don understood why Leo looked up to Daichi, but at the same time, he and his brother were very different. Therefore, he didn't find the same value in Daichi's advice. But he liked Daichi just the same; Mikey was particularly fond of the couple as he was overjoyed and smitten to find Daichi with a similar pair of charcoal wings. Payton and his magical medicine was fascinating to Don too. He was a good ally and had tons of knowledge to share, all of which had Don excited as he wanted to learn more. Joey, she had come to them too. Don considered Ash as his eyes swept over the man. They might have brought heartache with them, Ash and Payton through Casey and Raph as it were, but Don, in that moment, realized he wouldn't change a day of it. Their lives were always in danger regardless; they didn't live the most safe existences. It was enough just having met new people to enrich their lives, even if it cost them their safety as well. Don figured that a longer life, if it was cut short, wouldn't be as fulfilling with their smaller sphere of influence. He would take the company before he would the longevity._

_"Well I wouldn't." Don responded firmly, after long contemplation, before swallowing hard and looking at the pile of papers. "How's it going?" He asked tentatively, almost afraid of what he would find in the document at his fingertips._

_"Not good." Ash, the ever realist who never sugar coated anything, said flatly. He made no effort to address Don's sentiment a moment before, though there was a clear flash of a smile on his lips before his stoic face returned. "I really think Leo should stop going. I know he's clever and crafty, but this is a high profile case. It's not just humans were talking about, though they'd have society believe that - hell I would about me and Payton too. But Cassius is a vampire and he can smell everything. He knows Leo's there. He might not know where he is in the courtroom, but he knows he's there."_

_Don sighed again. "I know." It was defeat that Don exhibited. He couldn't fathom having the same talk with his brother that he'd had already. The one where he asked Leo to stop putting them in unnecessary danger, they were already in enough trouble. Leo, the most level headed of them all, always snapped 'I know what I'm doing' in a voice so unlike his own. And there Don would sigh yet again; it seemed to be the theme of the day as he did nothing but sigh and worry. "Maybe you should ask Daichi to talk to him. Leo might actually listen to him. He never seems to hear any of us anymore, not after everything that's happened."_

_"Perhaps." Ash responded, thoughtfully as he filed away the possibility for when Leo did return._

_"This is the unedited version?" Don asked as his eyes finally settled fully on the paper in front of him. "The 'not-for-the-record' transcript?"_

_Ash nodded. "Yes. I don't want to know how April got it, just that she did. Don..." Ash reached out and caught the turtle's wrist. For a second, Don was shocked and he felt his arm go stiff, like he might automatically attack on instinct. But, of course, in the same instance, he was warmed and immediately softened. The fact that Ash, under the conditions, would touch anyone, let alone him, was a compliment and the turtle relaxed. "You aren't going to like it. That thing is full of...lies."_

_"Casey's on trial for murder Ash, I can't be there - this is the best I can do." He watched Ash's fingers peel off from his fabric wrapped wrist as his eyes settled on the court transcript. "Besides, I have you here to fill in the holes."_

_"You have yourself Don, you were there too." Ash added, to which Don nodded with a slight grimace. As if he didn't want to recall the things he had witnessed. _

_The paper had little numbers on it, running the border and adjacent was typewriter font, to which Donnie read aloud:_

**1... ... ...THE COURT: PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.**  
><strong> 2... ... ...MR. GRAY: CASSIUS DAMIEN GRAY.<strong>  
><strong> 3... ... ...THE COURT: WHAT WAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE VICTIM?<strong>  
><strong> 4... ... ...MR. GRAY: SHE WAS MY WIFE.<strong>

_"What a lie!" Don exclaimed, interrupting himself as he eyes flickered up to Ash, stunned as he hadn't gotten even more than four lines in before the lies started. Ash merely smirked._

_"I warned you. Go ahead Don, write on it. Make notes, I told you that you wouldn't like it."_

_"I can't believe Casey is being charged with murder." Don shook his head, his eyes falling back to the pristine white paper. "And we can't even help. He didn't even do anything and they believe that a vampire can be married! He's...deplorable."_

_"Yes, but I don't think that any of you being placed on trial would go over well. We were all responsible in our own way. It's just that with Casey already being on the spot, it led to their easily linking him to the crime. The system doesn't work Don. It misses things if put into the wrong hands; justice is only served on a fluke, while the criminals get off all the time. You know that. When a vampire and his lure can charm a crowd like Cassius did, it always fails. He's just waiting to tear into Casey - it must take all his will power not to run across the room and devour him. I can see it. Every time his eyes move over to the defense side of the court room, there is a glint there. Its scary. Don...I warned you. You don't want to read that."_

_"I have to, this is my only substantial link to what's going on there. I'm not going to go, not like Leo. I appreciate your rendition of what happened, but this is easier for me to rationalize." The turtle answered, placing his hand on the paper. He meant not to discount Ash who would patiently retell Don everything that happened in the court room that day. Instead, he needed these words to see for himself, the best he could._

* * *

><p>"She WHAT?" Leo's voice boomed through the lair. He was clearly flustered - all the days had passed in agony as Raph got sicker and sicker. No matter how they tried, Shiki's magic did little to keep him awake and alert. Leo wasn't taking his decline well, and he certainly wasn't taking Casey's imprisonment in the hospital well either. Payton stood flabbergasted in the middle of their living room, surprised by his outburst. He was still wearing the white lab coat and had paperwork in his hand, clearly files that were made for his 'patient'.<p>

"I know, I know Leo. The thing is, they can't keep him in holding and if another doctor undermines my diagnosis, and they will, he'll be free until the actual trail date." Payton sighed, looking down to his feet as he toyed with the edge of the papers. Ash's initial plans to help Casey were foiled by Elisa's request at a second opinion. Leo was pacing on the floor, his eyes frequently moving to Raph's form. It didn't help any that he hadn't slept much in the last few days, worry and determination filling him as he wanted nothing more than to take Elisa down to save Raph. That, however, was near impossible when she put herself in such a spot light. If they took her now, she'd be noticed and it would only get Casey into more trouble. "And yes, she asked for a second opinion."

"Why would she do that?" Don asked, perched on the edge of the chair. He too was clearly distressed, though he was more logical in his ways than Leo. While Leo worried and wanted a strategy for getting to Elisa, Don knew they had to play their cards right to make it easiest on them all. Or else they could simply cause more damage than good by rattling the sleeping bull. That was Raph's MO and he wasn't doing much right then. It was a wonder Leo had been able to keep calm for this long in his worry, but - as always - he somehow managed.

"So he's on the street. Though she could get to him in jail, it would be tougher. In the institution, she can't because he's better protect there. Its not just that he's being watched by the staff, but by us...she knows Ash and I are there. But on the street...well, we can't keep him in a box now can we?"

"I'm considering it." Leo answered tersely. "If it means he's safe, that is. "

"We have to get to her." Ash finally commented, looking over his shoulder. Master Splinter and Shiki were leaned over the couch where Raph's body, now mostly cathartic, lay. He looked terrible for how weak his body was positioned, giving up and sinking into the cushions as his only support. He hadn't spoken for two days now, his last conscious moment had been the night before and those were all reasons Leo was particularly testy then. They needed to get to Elisa...they needed her blood...and Leo was starting not to care what the backlash from it might be.

"I'll fetch Daichi. You will need him if you plan to hunt and kill her. He will be an asset to your endeavour - we could always use more help as this will not be easy." Shiki's eyes lifted and scanned the group standing still in the living room. He was already standing, leaving the bowl of water with Master Splinter. The serene rat picked up the soaked sponge and rung it out before applying it against the surface of Raph's clammy, fever ridden forehead.

"Joey?" Leo turned to her; the only woman in the lair. She was sitting on the table with her feet situated on the seat of one of the chairs. Her knees were bouncing, elbows to the tops of her thighs, and her hands were clasped together while her chin rested on the top of them. "Can it be done?" He asked her urgently - he was hopeful of her answer. He knew it was dumb to run into something he didn't know, he had learned that before with these creatures. So if Joey said they could do it, then he was certainly going to believe her. She was clearly only half listening as she seemed to be shocked by her sudden inclusion. Her leg stopped bouncing.

She planted a hand on either side of herself and sprang up off from the table and marched around to the refrigerator. Wrangling her was sometimes as she moved. After studying the contents for a moment she slammed the door lightly and turned back to them. Clearly, she was just biding time. "As full of answers you fine men seem to think I am, I don't always have them." She retorted in a lazy, snarky drawl. She gave a half hearted shrug, but the look on her face - concerned and worried - didn't match her words nor how she issued them. "Yeah, I think we can get her." Joey said with a firm nod. "For Raph. I also think, however, we should be prepared for the worst. Couldn't hurt. So make peace with whatever other worldly creatures you wanna because we might not all make it out alive. But I'll be damned if I sit back idle in the meantime. If I'm gonna go - let me go out fighting." She smiled, a lazy and dangerous challenging grin. "And if we go after her, know we're going after Cassius too. Or at least be ready for whatever backlash that monster might bestow on us. He's a real peach." She mocked with a one shouldered shrug. "Now could anyone point me to the grub? I'm about ready to start gnawing on my arm."

"Wait - who's Cassius?" Don asked, climbing up from his spit as if to stop Joey from her distraction. He found it the hardest to follow Joey as she didn't always have direction. And it was particularly important if the matter of their life - or death - was on the line due to this man.

* * *

><p><em>"I wish I never asked her that."<em>

_"Well, not asking doesn't make him any less real. It just made you more aware of what we were up against. They always come in pairs. They always have a 'mate' - if they can be called that. It's not emotional Don, remember that. It's a survival tactic, even if it seems otherwise when we try and apply human, or conventional, emotions on their lifestyle. It doesn't exactly translate. In fact it doesn't translate at all. Most of their kind is violent, even to one another. Having one person you can pour yourself into to watch your back is a necessary evil. Every single encounter they have with others of their race is a strategic game of cat and mouse or chess. Except for that one, that one person - or vampire as they are hardly people - who might as well be an extension of themselves for how blended they are. Wife is the only way that Cassius could translate whatever they were into human lingo, something the jury would understand and muster empathy for."_

_"Apathy is a better thing they should shoot for. I know...now. I know that now." Don reiterated immediately after the first hesitation and frown that pulled on his lips. "Its sick. Who wants to live like that?"_

_"No one, Don. No one does." Ash replied softly, bowing his head slightly as if in silent mourning for those lost to this existence. "But most aren't given the choice when it happens and once it's done...there's no turning back."_

_That much Don understood clearly. And really...he wished he didn't understand that either._

* * *

><p><strong>::Author's Note::<strong>

Oh my! So we started part two! For this site we will keep it all in one story but the formatting, as you notice, will be different as this story is told a little differently. ^_^ The last was through Casey, this one will be through 'the Court' as I'm sure you've sort of noticed. Now, there will not be as much italics in future chapters as this one. We were really just needing to properly set it up for your view. As always, any comments or concerns or any words really are GREATLY appreciated. Also, you can find the graphics for this piece, just like the last, under our profile at Stealthy Stories with the same name.

Thank you for reading! You're lovely.


	17. Believe in What I Am

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>**Part II  
><strong>Chapter One:  
><span>Believe in What I Am Because It's All I Have Today<span>

_Don was leaning over the pages of testimony and had been for some time. He had his pen lodged between his teeth, frequently stopping to write something on the transcript in his furious scrawl. It was then, as he had pen to paper, that he heard a soft knock on the door. His eyes lifted. There was a moment of confusion that passed his face as so few people knocked when they entered his lab. "Come in." He called, turning some in his seat. It took full minutes for the door to open, but when it did, it happened only in a crack. Finally, a little face poked in._

_"Oh, Evie. Come in." He smiled, pushing the papers aside. He actually softened entirely at the sight of the little girl in her pig tailed glory. Don loved kids - their innocence was appealing as they had the entire world before them, ready to explore. It truly was a shame he didn't get to be around them more often as he felt he had so much to teach little, mailable minds. "What are you doing here?" He asked in a pitch higher than normal, for the fact that there was some measure of pleasure in seeing the little girl, not because it was as if he were speaking to a dog rather than a child; even if his voice did the same thing when he greeted puppies. It was hard not to be endeared to her lively person._

_"Saying hi." She answered brightly before stepping through the door and closing it politely behind her. She then curtsied to the turtle man. "Hello Donatello." She said properly with all of her focus on his name as to not miss a syllable. "Uncle Ash says you're reading the files. I thought...maybe you need a break. They must be boring." She faux yawned and then darted over to him and, without permission, climbed up onto his lap, to which Donnie wondered what took her so long. The little girl, six - she would say proudly if asked her age - rarely did anything with rhyme or reason. She was so opposite from her father._

_"It lies right?" She looked down at the papers with Donnie's notes, all caps, in perfect order, all over them. "Tastes like mint jelly, I bet. You know - if it had a flavor. Boo." She wrinkled her nose and shook her head in distaste at Don, while poking out her tongue as she peeked at the papers. He was both amused and slightly baffled by her comparison - though he would agree, the contents inside were as disgusting as she compared them. "Mr. Gray?" She asked looking up to Don, having read the name that was most easily visible on the court testimony documentation._

_"Cassius." He said carefully, with hesitation in his voice. He didn't want to alarm the little girl._

_"Oh." Evelyn shrank on Donnie's lap and tucked herself closer to his plastron, squirming as if it would bring her closer to him despite being as close as she possibly could be already. Don knew that Evelyn was like Joey, blessed and simultaneously cursed with powerful magic - on little Evelyn it seemed to fit. She was hardly tamable, her black hair - like her father (and mother for that matter) - was as bouncy as she was lively and hung limply like her posture when she was as put off as she was right then, she simply lived as big as she felt. He had been told she had wings - wings he couldn't see because he didn't believe fully. For a second, he was sure he felt them flutter in her outpouring of fear - a magic all its own. It easily could have been a tuft of wind from her shivering. He wasn't sure which, though the former was hard for him to grasp without actually feeling said wings. It was that sort of logic that would always hinder his exposure to them._

_"Wanna play?" She asked but Donnie's automatic response was to protest - he had work to do. It was, however, when her huge round eyes looked up to him, inky black and shiny with innocence, that Don softened. She beamed at him. "I'll be the ninja, you be the criminal." Don hesitated, but her hand was already in his as she'd easily slipped off his lap and began tugging him to his feet. "NO! Alien, I'm the alien and you're the cop - WAIT! No. Hmm, oh, you're hurt!" She got distracted, looking at the bite wounds on his arm from when he'd been in the first altercation with the vampires. It seemed like a life time ago, though it had really only been a few weeks. It was still raw and marked with their lure. This little girl, holding on to her innocence, was baffling to Don in the way that Mikey always struck him. He wanted to protect her too. She'd seen more than he and his brothers had in their lifetime and yet she was incapable of being tainted by it. He wondered if she was crazy or just too young to know the difference and someday she'd grow up to be a psychopath._

_"It's nothing." Don placed his fingers over the wound. He knew it was not the right answer, it would only cause more curiosity in the girl. Furthermore he _**knew**_ she could help; in theory, he knew she could make it look less angry and red. After all, she had been the reason for Raph's first partial recovery._

* * *

><p>Leo was sitting by Raph's bedside, his legs tucked up underneath him and his eyes cast to the floor. He hadn't moved in hours. In fact, he hadn't really slept or eaten in days. Occasionally he would meditate. Even that was full of distraction and the inability to concentrate as nothing around him was peaceful enough to focus on. Casey was supposed to be interviewed by the new psychiatrist today; hopefully the second opinion would do them good, but he didn't have much faith in that. It put more stress on Leo's already burdened shoulders - he felt like nothing was going quite their way anymore and Casey would be but one more causality. The bit of hope he had was that Casey, in his stupidity, had not succeeded in his mission. Had he taken the whole message he would know that burning her was not the answers as if Elisa was turned to ash, there would be no blood for them to collect and reverse the curse Raph had inadvertently obtained. That much was good news as Elisa was still 'alive' so that they could kill her properly. Where it would help Raph. He just wanted something, anything, to help his brother.<p>

Shiki's natural herbs were starting lack in success and Payton had given up trying to help altogether. Nature, Shiki had said, could only go so far - She could not control the will of a man. That much didn't make sense to Leo, but he took what he needed from it - Raph wasn't getting any better. Payton, in turn, explained that his magic seemed too weak to do any good. It was just as well, Leo thought, as the doctor had been partially responsible for Raph's condition worsening. Sitting there wasn't helping either but Leo was running out of options. He figured, the best he could do was sit with his brother. Perhaps his presence could help, much like coma patients could hear people talking around them. Mikey had trouble even coming through the doors. Every time he did, he'd say something about 'get better soon bro' but his words would trail off at the beginning or the end and string together. He was left with obvious concern on his face before he'd leave - dejected and sad. Don, on the other hand, was reading everything he could, convinced he could help find an answer. Ash had quietly offered to help as he was normally their scholar, Leo deduced. They seemed to be pouring over books together, Ash answering Don's questions as Don scrambled to find logic to help Raph. The leader was thankful, as least, that Ash could offer Don direction for where to start as this was a world they had no knowledge of and certainly no point with which to even know where to begin.

He was holding the rock in his hand, as he sat by Raph's bedside, where he'd been relocated. He remembered handing it back to Joey after they'd landed back on Earth, with solid ground and no path with which to _have _to follow. The rush of magic sweeping out of him had been just as sickening as when he'd been hit with it. It was the heaviest thing Leo had ever experienced, the weight of his responsibility crush him like a banal blanket, coupled with the force of mediocrity. Everything that he was on this plane of existence defied and undermined the one he had just left, the one of dreams and belief and magic. Never, in all of his life - as a mutant turtle - did he think he'd experience the mundane world in such a soul trampling way. He had wondered how Joey lived with all that magic coursing through her all the time - now he wondered how he lived without it. It was a high he hadn't expected and a feeling, a good one, that he wanted again. To be drained of it so quickly, just by the nature of the world and his place in it, made his heart ache and his head hurt.

Joey had willingly snatched the stone away from him, clearly concerned that he wouldn't give it back - had he not, he would forever be enchanted and perhaps go mad from the magic coursing through his unprepared soul. She pitched it over her shoulder dismissively as a soft, but slightly panicked, 'no' escaped Leo. He had dropped to his knees and gathered it up, cradling it in all its precious and special nature. It was warm when he touched it, as if a bit of Joey was still in there as she'd been the one to imbue it with her own magic - her spirit. He stuffed it in the hem of his belt, unwilling to part with it. It might be inanimate and non-descript now, but it was still special to Leo. It had led him to a place he'd never expected to go and for his belief in it, his remembrance, it would forever be touched with glamour. And it truly did hold a magical quality, even if only to Leo. He was connected to that rock, inspired and influenced by its strength. With her spirit intertwined with the atoms that made the rock, coupled with his memory and belief, it would forever be a relic rather than just a piece of earth hardened.

He clutched tighter to the rock and bowed his head harder, stifling unwanted tears. "Come on Raph. You're stronger than this." He gritted his teeth. "Better. You can beat it, I know you can - you've never backed down from a fight in your life. BEAT IT!" He barked, demanding his unconscious brother to act. He'd never had to before, Raph was always the first to jump into action. It would often upset Leo for his brash need for action, he did dumb things for it. Blindly sometimes and this was the first time Leo had realized how painful it was to have him motionless, almost to the point where it wasn't clear if he was breathing or not. In an outburst, Leo's fist came down on the bed frame in his helpless frustration. He had never felt so defeated and so ashamed of himself before, for letting his brother be in this sort of turmoil.

"Hey hot shot, you wanna reel that back in a little bit? You're going to scare the roaches and rats off." Joey was leaning in the door frame, a smug little smile on her face. There was taunt in her voice that never seemed to leave and right then, it grated on Leo's nerves. Everything irritated him, particularly when he was sans sleep and nourishment. He didn't know what to do with her, how to take her and her mannerisms. She wasn't always forthcoming and the fact that she was a girl confused him even more. April did the same from time to time. It was easier to tolerate Casey as far as humans were concerned but Joey's close quarters with them was making Leo's never ending patience wane. It had been easier to be hospitable when he and his brothers were crashing April's house. Joey was in theirs, invading their territory. Normally, he would realize that she was helping him but with Raph's condition, everything was an enemy. Leo had trouble keeping his eyes and focus where it needed to be.

"And what are you doing beside wasting time while she's out there? You claimed to have answers and yet you're just as useless, waiting here. She's out there Joey and Raph...he's here. Dying. And we still don't know how to stop that."

Joey's eyes widened. "You know I could jet on out of here if you think it would help. Next time I have the option to stay where I'm happy instead, I will. You got that? I'm risking my life for you and your brother. Hell of a thanks Leo. Look, if I wanted to get bitched at I'd go cozy up with vampires. Don't forget I'm trying to help you." She told him firmly and with a bit of a snap, which caused a multitude of emotions to explode in his chest. First shame washed over him for how he knew that her words were true. That was immediately followed by rage for the fact that she was right and had called him out on it. Beyond that there was envy for her ability to keep it so cool right then, which was equally balanced with admiration for the same thing. Most of all he, wanted to snap at her again, but bit his tongue; as Leo often did and buried his lash-out reflex and channeled it inward. He truly was a bundle of emotions half the time, it was merely with grace and measured control that he kept those emotions from dumping - sometimes unfairly - out onto others.

"I'm sorry." He apologized stiffly, bowing his head to her and sinking further onto his heels where he was situated on the floor next to Raph's bed. He could offer no more without fear of running his mouth again.

"You're a rotten liar." She told him plainly, drawing herself up from the door frame and slinking into the room. His head snapped up and an expression of confusion crossed his face. There was a dash of affront in the glance he shot her way. She gestured to his shadow as she knelt down next to him. "Or maybe you're fantastic at it, I can't tell anymore since my perception is skewed by the majority." She offered one of her bored and lazy smiles. "Most people are lying all the time."

Leo was quiet for a long time, his lips pinched together tightly. He wasn't sure what to say - there was so many emotions going through him, he couldn't very well say he was certainly sorry. Part of him was...while the other parts were merely flustered and upset. Whatever came from his lips, his shadow had the potential to betray him by harnessing his other emotions. He knew she saw something else entirely in the black blob that was ever present, therefore he was that mercy of his inner being...which was confused already. "What do you see in Raph's shadow?" He asked, suddenly with some measure of hope as his voice perked. Perhaps if she could see into his, his turmoil and pain, she could see life still present in Raph's.

One corner of Joey's mouth turned down - a sad frown. "He's not half the fighter you think he is." She spoke soberly. "Just like you're not half as patient as you let on. Every one has two very distinct sides. Most of us are smart enough to stifle the dumb one, the socially unacceptable, but both parts make up who we are. I have to try and balance it between the two, the things I hear and the things I see as they are often conflicting. Donnie's actually sort of bitter sometimes and Mikey...well he's sort of what you see is what you get." She chuckled. "I like makes my life a whole lot easier."

She leaned forward and patted Leo on the shoulder. His face had fallen visibly - without his knowing - at her rather blunt answer regarding Raph's strength. "I have an idea though. Payton's mage magic didn't work, its too weak...Shiki's natural stuff is starting to fail, he can only do so much. I know another way...another possibility that could help Raph fight this and win. Because right now, he's losing. It's something else to try. Do you trust me?"

She had asked him that, in so many words, once before. And he found himself in the Dreaming, surrounded by bizarre occurrences and wild fantasies. Leo clutched tighter to the rock in remembrance of that adventure only a little while ago. He had been hesitant, but she hadn't let him down then and he expected she wouldn't now either. He had to trust her, she had delivered before as they knew now how to relieve Raph of his curse. His trust, however, came into question when she returned some hours later with a little girl in tow. Leo hadn't left his spot in that time, perched by Raph's bedside as he impatiently waited for him to miraculously awake. The girl was blind folded and stumbling around, her hand in Joey's, asking if she could see yet. Leo - who had been touched by magic once before - noticed something as she got closer. On her little back were two huge wings overpowering her body. The stone, which he still had tucked away in his belt, was proof of his belief and the reason he could see the wings at all. They drooped at the tips for how tall they stood, as if she had no control over them. Leo blinked, just to be sure he was seeing the bright orange butterfly wings, rimmed in black against her back. When his eyes fluttered open once more, they were still on the small child's back.

"You bet kiddo!" Joey beamed at Leo though spoke to the girl. For a second, she looked happy again - like she had in the Dreaming. Full of life and full of magic - he wondered if this little girl had something to do with it. The second the blindfold was removed, the little girl's eyes landed on Leo. The turtle, momentarily, was sure she was going to scream - after all, it wasn't every day a child met someone like him. She looked like a princess with her pretty dress, the sort to be afraid of frogs and water - and most definitely over sized, mutant turtles. She stared for several long moments, until a smile broke out across her face so big and full her eyes disappeared into her face and turned into little slits of joy. "Hi!" She beamed at him. Okay, he reasoned, so maybe she wasn't an average child - as if the wings hadn't already told him that.

Leo was stunned. Children baffled him in the way that Mikey did - he admitted to not fully understanding them, but finding their spirits enticing. Normally, they were the humans that weren't afraid of he and his brothers. Sometimes, when they'd seen them, little girls screamed and boys thought they were awesome; but they always ended up, Leo was sure, thinking they'd imagined he and his brothers up. He, for a moment was upset with Joey for bringing a child into the sewers and exposing them to yet another person who wouldn't just pass them off as a figment of her imagination. Knowing Joey, she must know of magic too..perhaps a part of it...and wouldn't forget the things she saw. However, he also knew that Joey was also a fae, and therefore incapable to being stifled by reason. "Hello little one." He said kindly to her enthusiasm.

"I'm Evelyn, but no one calls me that. You can call me Evie. What's your name? Do you have one? If not, you should. I could give you one. You look like a Fredrick to me. Freddie's a cool nickname. The coolest kid in my class is called Freddie. You're cool too yeah?" She stood in front of Leo - she was tiny, barely coming up to his belt at the very top of her head, therefore she had to lean her head way back to look up at him. Leo, in turn, looked down at her - stunned by her energy and zeal. She smiled at him. Without any hesitation, she leaned forward and took his hand, holding it warmly in hers. She brightened. "Will you be my friend?" She asked.

"I guess...if you'd like it. Um...my name is Leonardo. But I prefer Leo, like you prefer Evie." He told her, doing his best to humor her. He was half afraid of her and half intimidated by the tiny child who was so full of life, whom he knew of in theory. She was a beautiful little girl. She seemed to be happy and he wondered how Payton felt about this, if he knew at all. "I've heard a little about you."

"Really?" She asked, squeezing his hand. "Then we can be friends! I've never heard anything about you, but that means that we have a lifetime to learn it, right? Did you know you only have three fingers? Well two and a thumb, Dad says a thumb isn't really a finger. I think it sort of is but don't tell him okay? I wish I had three fingers. The others seem a bother right? They get in the way sometimes. I only need three. Ohhhh..." her eyes spotted Raph. "Is he sick?" She looked up to Leo with sad eyes, but before he could answer - or manage any word in between her continuous stream of thoughts - she'd already darted passed him, toward Raph. When Leo went to stop her, Joey reached out and caught Leo's arm.

"No. This is why I brought her."

"I thought she and Amy were in hiding because of the vampires. Threats on Payton right? For what...you never did say why."

"Someone has to know where they are or they'd go missing, for real. I am their point of contact - but Payton doesn't know that. Just that they are safe and tucked away. Payton doesn't even know where. No more questions, not now." She warned Leo, pulling him toward the door. "You'll need to leave her in here for a moment with Raph."

"But-"

"No buts, come on." She pulled him toward the door. Leo wanted to protest - he couldn't imagine just living the little girl there with an unconscious Raph. First there was the question of what she might do, the mess she could cause...and then what Raph might do should he wake up.

Evelyn was struck, in all cases, by the sick or wounded. She lost focus on all other things when she saw someone in need. Her magic manifested by accident, much too soon for her little body to handle after an accident that was partially her parent's fault. Fae were born of extreme emotion conditions - good or bad - but rarely did it happen at such a young age as Evie. Either way, a fae was unleashed. The sleeping fairy in her soul bounded to life and hadn't stopped since, making the already strange and easily distracted little girl not entirely right. In fact, she was so far of the proverbial map of childhood normalcy that she defined her own new category.

She climbed up onto the bed where Raph was. She tucked her legs under her and leaned forward to press the back of her hand to his forehead, very concerned in her pretend world that included her as a very knowledgeable doctor. The reality of it came into practice when she, in her magic filled spirit as she was made up of bits of that same magic herself, projected that pretend world into reality. Joey could see the intent in shadows, and use them to travel - connecting the edge of one shadow to another that existed somewhere else. Like that, Evelyn _believed_she was a doctor and her magic made it so. The rawest and most powerful version was channeled through fae so long as they believed in it and didn't have a non believer near enough to inhibit it. Joey insisted that she and Leo leave to keep Evelyn from being stunted in anyway. Evelyn, at her core, always believed herself to be a doctor. She would tell anyone - just like her father.

In her true belief in herself, she nodded firmly at her assessment of his possible fever. Her dress turned into a white lab coat and the headband on her head morphed into an 1800's silver, reflector disc as doctors used to wear. The plastic necklace around her throat became a stethoscope for checking vitals. Though her garb magically altered to medical equipment, it would never need to be used as her skill came from a well much deeper than rational knowledge. That was what Joey was counting on. Raph's wound was magical, of the most primal and base kind. Therefore, to really fight it without curing it - it had to be done so with a magic just as strong. Unfortunately, Payton nor Shiki had that ability. After all, they were mere conduits of magic - a wielder and a protector. The six year old girl, however, had such an ability because she was the raw embodiment of magic.

"I'm Doctor Lionel. I can help you." She told Raph's limp form. "I didn't get your name sir, nor the nature of your illness. But we'll fix it." She assured him. "You have to trust me. I'm the best doctor around here. I promise. You just have to...let me in okay?" She scooped the stethoscope off her neck and placed the buds in her ears and pressed the pad uselessly to his plastron. She couldn't hear anything but that didn't matter, she _believed_she could; that was what mattered.

She leaned over his shell and placed her ear next to his mouth. Half laying on him half leaning over him, she barely touched the bed with her knees for how small she was as hung over Raph's body. "Ohhh...I see now." She said, having spotted the damaged parts of his shell. She clucked her tongue. "That's not good. But don't worry. I'm a doctor. Shiki was here huh? He uses that green stuff. Good thing, he probably kept you fighting till I could get here." She mused. "He's good too though, if you like tea." She shrugged, rambling on to Raph as if he could understand her - or hear her at all. She reached out and pulled him over so he was laying on his back and his body sort of swayed for the roundness of his shell.

"You're heavy." She told him sticking her finger in the green goo that Shiki applied. She made a face and wrinkled her nose at its smell and consistency. Evie placed both of her hands over the wound and closed her eyes. Tipping her head back, she focused all her will on that spot, as that - in her child like mind - was how doctors healed people...by magic. Her hands glowed in soft little halos of yellow. She could feel how sick he was, as the poison of evil, cursed magic backed up into her free little spirit. As it did, their inherent spirits - their souls - blended and Evelyn felt herself sucked through the passage of reality into the subconscious mind of Raphael. It was again her belief that she could reach him where he was otherwise unreachable that made it possible. She was spit out, in what seemed to be a street, but the clanking of weapons were distinctly heard - accompanied by grunts and pants of a fight. Definitely not the place for a little girl, but Evie didn't seem to mind or even notice.

She climbed to her feet, dusted off her yellow sun dress and marched forward around the corner of the brick building. The sudden transformation of her surroundings didn't even faze her. She merely adapted, and it was arguable that she expected it. "Oh." She chirped when she spotted Raphael and he was fighting at least five cloaked figured, their trappings were black and disguised their faces. He grunted and his sais came over his head, catching a sword that was headed for his bald skull with precision. The hooks of the small arms of his weapons crossed and the blade was suddenly trapped between the two long points of his weapons. He was tired, however. It was clear that he was worn out and his pursuant seemed to float and dance around him with easy and agility he had long ago abandoned for raw force.

"Hey! There you are." She called happily, clearly unbothered by the massive villains.

"GET THE SHELL OUT OF HERE LITTLE GIRL! Do you want to get hurt?" He grunted, panting as he gave the black wearing man a kick to the stomach, which launched him backward into one of the other men. His eyes darted, for a quick second, in irritation to the black haired girl.

"I won't." She said with a smile, spinning around in a circle to dance out of the way of his bigger, quick feet. "What's your name?"

Raph, distracted, wanted to slap her pretty little face so it might make her cry and run off, though he would never actually do that. If he had to roar at her and spit and complain he would, whatever it would take to get the sudden intruder to go away - the sudden innocent and in need of protection intruder. She was a little girl, Raph would be damned if he let her be hurt. She was the sort he and his brothers fought for. The world they wanted to protect and make better for.

"My name's Evie."

"Fascinating!" Raph groaned as one of the men slammed into him, having thrown all of his weight forward and barrelling into Raph's chest. "You on for a death wish, Evie?" He complained as he spun and with all the force of his arms, pitched the man off from him. The cloaked figure went flying though as he did, two more were stalking their way to Raph.

"Are you?" She asked seriously, coming to a sudden halt in her spot. She stood still and as Raph, suddenly and surprised, gave all of his attention to her and her question. It shook his insides to hear, and he wasn't quite sure why he felt confused by it. Like he didn't have that answer. It was then that the monsters noticed her, following Raph's attention. "Oh no..." he whispered as one instantly scooped her up - his demons were after her now that he acknowledged her existence. A squeak escaped her as one squeezed her close to his chest.

"HEY! Leave her alone! She's just a little girl!" She felt weird to Raph, like she was poking at parts of his personality and brain that Leo pushed - buttons that were hidden away, and he couldn't tell which ones or how she was doing it. But, in the same instant, he wanted to protect her - particularly as her little face went white. It was as if the demon was sucking the life right out of her by touching her skin.

"Help..." she squeaked. "Please...don't let them do this. They...aren't real. You're letting them be. Stop...fighting. Just stop." She pleaded, but all of Raph's instincts told him to ignore her. He couldn't make sense of her words, or the meaning behind them - he was too focused on saving her. She was crazy and with that, he fought back with more zeal - in a vein attempt to save her. Meanwhile, she was taking the brunt of his sickness, the devil in his soul - the curse from the Screamer - as he insisted on fighting it the only way he knew how and not the way she suggested. He needed to let it go, to stop fighting it to save himself and Evie the pain. "You have to stop fighting like that, you're giving them power over you." She whined, her eyes filling with tears. "There's nothing there." She squeaked and her fingers finally caught the point of hood that belonged to the one holding her. With a sudden jerk, she pulled it off his head. When the hood fell back, there was nothing there. Just empty space.

Raph stared for a moment, unblinking and in awe as his sais swung uselessly between his fingertips. As he stared, each of the black cloaks around him fell to the ground in heaps, their mass only created by his belief in them. Seeing the truth, that nothing was there at all, he was left knowing it to be true and therefore took their power and the darkness from them. It seeped into the ground in little trails of black smoke, dissipating into nothingness. He felt his stomach give a lurch in that moment, as they were disappearing from existence, and he turned to empty the entirety of his belly. It wasn't food, but silvery liquid that spilled from his mouth. He coughed a few times, blinking hard as his throat burned from the medicine - the serum Payton had given him many, many days ago to keep him moving when they first entered the vampire club - that he threw up.

"That's what was causing it..." He heard Evie's voice, his eyes flickering up to see her still in the grasp of the last hooded 'body', "...you should have let go of it a long time ago...it wasn't real..." Her voice faded off as she spoke. He didn't understand what she was talking about, but he did know what he was seeing as the body vanished and the last cloak fell away. However, that meant that Evie fell too. Had she been more aware, had the darkness from her trying to help him not been sinking into her soul as she tried to take some of his burden, her wings would have caught her. But she was completely unconscious and smacked into the ground like a bag of rocks.

"NO!" Raph shouted and made to run forward to catch her. Instead, he bolted upright on the bed, his eyes flicking open and his heart beating so hard against his plastron that he was certain it would break through the thick outer shell. The evil that had been making him sick receded some because he let it go, Evie had helped him realize he was fighting something that was artificial and just making him worse; wearing him out. That evil, however, had started entering Evie instead as she helped heal him with her innate magic. She was, however, passed out against his shell and in his sudden movement, he knocked her off from him. She was sent sprawling to the sewer floor, her small unconscious body hitting it with a thud.

It took Raph a second to register where he was and what exactly had happened. It was a dream - a horrible dream he'd been stuck in. His fever and sickness primarily latched on to the evil magic of the Screamer and it's damage to him. Which, oddly enough, was healed over now - a thick bit of shell was built up over the former wound where the Screamer lanced him. The curse was still branded to him as Evie could not undo that sort of magic - it only had one key to said lock. It would hold as the rules for it to be broken had very specific requirements to keep Raph from a soon death. He was still dying...and should Elisa continue to 'live', he would continue to die. However, his magic sickness - the part that had him unconscious and worsening - didn't stem from the curse. Instead, it came from a mixture of the Screamer's spell itself and the serum that Payton had given him to make him strong enough to fight that night. None of them realized it was the magic sickness itself that was causing the wound to stay agape - both Payton and Shiki had done everything in their power to remedy it. Their efforts failed and now, it was as if it had been properly healing for weeks - just like that. Just like magic. But it came to him only for the little girl to have taken on that burden for him instead. She took his wound, his pain, and drew it from him to herself. Her soul was much more resilient to magic than his as she was pure magic herself. Even still, she lay in an awkward mess of arms and legs on the floor, one wing crushed and bent under her while the other lay across her body like an orange blanket.

Raph stared at her for a minute. He could, rather clearly, see them stemming from her back. For all the things he saw in his life, his first real exposure to fae magic - a magic he didn't even know existed - was enough to stun him. He could see them as magic was still soaked into his body, lessened by Evie but still there. And he wondered, for a moment, if he was imagining her as he was sure she had been in his dream a moment before. He threw the blanket off from his body, wet with the perspiration from his continual fever, until now, and bent down beside her. She was real, very real, when he reached out to touch her. "What the shell...? Where did you come from?" He asked. The time that had lapsed didn't click in Raph's head as the last thing he remembered was well before the moment that he was living in just then. His illness, fevered and sickly mind, had dismissed those days as he truly had no recollection of them.

He scooped her up, in a panic. The last doctor he knew was Payton and he was under the impression that Payton was there, now. Shiki's arrival was unknown to him as he had arrived long after Raph was delusional with fever. He hurried out into living room, expecting to find Payton or at least someone that could help the little girl of whom he didn't know; save for in his dreams. He hadn't used his muscles in many days and they felt atrophied as he felt like he was moving on wobbly sticks rather than legs. Even so, he pushed through it as he roughly gave Evie a shake. "Wake up. Come on kid and wake up. What the shell were you thinking being in that...it's not a place for little girls, ya know." He told her sharply in his frantic worry, as if scolding her for being so reckless. For him even.

"Help!" He called the second he passed through the doors into the heart of the lair. There he found Leo and Joey, both of which turned sharply at his voice. Leo's expression on him, shock and awe, irritated the hothead as he didn't have time to entertain whatever was surprising his brother so much when the little girl was possibly dying. "Leo, shut that hole in your face and help me! Stop standing there."

"I told you." Joey darted passed the blue masked turtle and met Raph, placing her hand on Evie's forehead. "Evie...oh God Evie...come on honey. What happened?" She looked up at Raph, but he was staring at the little girl with concerned eyes.

"It wasn't...a dream was it?" Raph asked. Joey placed her arms under Evie's little body and gathered her up from Raph's stronger ones, albeit weak in the moment. "No." Joey said simply as she brought Evie to the couch laying her limp little body on the padded cushions. Raph, was left gaping - as Leo had been a moment before. He felt guilt shoot through him and just as he was about to stumble forward to where Joey had taken his, as he saw it now, savior in some ways, he was smacked into with all the force of his brother. "RAPHIE!" Mikey howled. "HOLY SHELL, WHEN DID YOU WAKE UP?" The two tumbled to the ground in Mikey's excitement. They were all legs and shells as they rolled around, Mikey hugging Raph tight while Raph tired to squirm free of his grasp. Don wasn't far behind, a bright smile on his face - and all of his attention on Raph.

Their boisterous boy antics went on for several moments, even Leo joining in. The blue-clad turtle managed to help Raph to his feet before hugging him too, teasing him as he told Raph not to dare scare them like that again. Don had even managed to hug him too, though he looked tired as he did. All of them were clearly glad to see Raph awake and alive, all the while Raph shrugged, confused. "No big deal...just a scratch, huh?" He mumbled, rubbing his bald dome before he barked at them to stop talking. Mikey froze mid sentence, his lips parted as he was yammering on."The...little girl..." Raph directed, pointing to the couch where Joey was stroking her little face. Her eyes had just fluttered open and she sat up.

"Joey...I don't feel so good." Her eyebrows pinched together in discomfort. "Oh little butterfly..." Joey spoke softly, brushing her bangs back. Raph had even moved to try and help, though he had his hands to his sides in fists as he didn't know exactly what to do to do any good for Evie's pain. "You're a pro, little-chan." Evie smiled as best she could, even though she looked particularly under the weather. "I think I'm going to throw up."

Joey barely had time to jump up before the little girl followed through with her promise.

* * *

><p><em>"Evie." Ash's voice called out to her from the other room. He proved Don's initial thought - no one knocked when they entered the lab. "Come on, your mother's leaving. You'll need to go with her."<em>

_"But Donatello is hurt." She protested and Ash shook his head firmly. "Not now Evelyn, your dad will look at it." She frowned and signed a little. "I'm sorry Donatello." She told him purposefully, almost to complain inadvertently to her uncle. "I have to go now. I will fix it next time." She reached around him and gave him a hearty hug before disappearing out the door, waving to Ash as she skipped passed him. Don watched her closely, admiring her energy and innocence - it was hard not to be drawn to that childish behavior._

_"Ah the mind of a child, huh?" Ash inquired as he looped around the table to look at Don's progress on the _  
><em>testimony. He seemed to note Don's smitten look as he stared long after Evie had left.<em>

_"Ash...I still can't see her wings." Donnie watched her go, his eyes settled on the door before he forced them away to look up to Ash. The man sighed lightly at Don's clear disappointment. It worried Don that, no matter how he tried, he seemed to have difficulty accepting and understand magic like Evie and Joey's. That was the problem though...the harder he tried to understand, and the less he just believed, the harder it was to see it._

_"Not everyone can. Sometimes never. They're there Don. I promise. You're not the only one who knows of them, but can never see them. You'll never understand her fully, that's the problem...you have to accept that part first. She's...abstract. And she always will be. She'll never make total sense."_

_The turtle nodded slightly. He didn't like that answer but he also understood that he would have to accept it blindly. He was trying and, in the days that had passed, he felt he was making progress more and more. He pointed to the testimony. "I made some more notes. It's like everything that comes out of Cassius's mouth is a lie."_

**15... ... ... THE COURT: WERE YOU THERE THE NIGHT OF THE MURDER?**  
><strong>16... ... ... MR. GRAY: NO.<strong>  
><strong>17... ... ... THE COURT: WHERE WERE YOU?<strong>  
><strong>18... ... ... MR. GRAY: I WAS AT THE BUSINESS. TRYING TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE.<strong>

_"He wasn't assessing the damage at all. He was covering up their tracks. The cops were going to find bones and bodies littering that entire place...and not just killed in a fire." Don protested, a shiver crossing him in memory of the things he'd witnessed._


	18. Live Young, Die Fast

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>**Part II  
><strong>Chapter 2:  
><span>Live Young, Die Fast<span>

**19... ... ... ...THE COURT: TELL US ABOUT THAT NIGHT.**  
><strong>20... ... ... ...MR. GRAY: I KISSED MY WIFE, ELIZABETH, GOOD BYE AND THEN I WENT TO OUR<strong>  
><strong>21... ...BUSINESS WHERE I WAS MET BY AN OLD FRIEND, KENSHIN MIYAGI. HE'D COME TO SEE <strong>  
><strong>22... ...THE DAMAGE HIMSELF AND WISH ELISA AND I HIS BEST. TO SEE IF HE COULD HELP IN<strong>  
><strong>23... ...ANYWAY.<strong>  
><strong>24... ... ... ...MR. LABARRE: OBJECTION YOUR HONOR, MR. GRAY AND MR. MIYAGI HAVE A LONG<strong>  
><strong>25... ...RUNNING DISPUTE OVER THE BUSINESS PROPERTY. THERE ARE SEVERAL DOCUMENTED POLICE<strong>  
><strong>1. ... ...REPORTS INDICTING ANIMOSITY BETWEEN THE TWO AND PUBLIC DISTURBANCES.<strong>

_Donnie had read the exchange several times over. It still confused him, these transcripts, and the dry nature of them. He wished he could be there, to see Cassius' face, to see how exactly these lies came from his lips. They left out anything that really happened, at least by way of description. He figured it was impossible to accurately convict anyone based on the papers in front of him, particularly after being there for the truth...and reading these lies. How could anyone possibly believe Cassius?_

* * *

><p>Raph was beside himself with all that he'd missed. But more than that, he was panicked at what he'd brought on his family. It was nothing he'd admit out loud as his concern was hardly something he was comfortable with. It didn't help that Casey had been charged with arson because of him. His vigilante best friend was released from the psychiatric institution, due to the second opinion, and now was among the others. He'd been told he'd stand trial for his crime, but that was not the least of Casey's worries - however it was certainly on Raph's mind. He was burdened with everything and he had even come to blame Leo in an effort to relieve some of his stress because surely the 'leader' should have kept all this chaos from happening while he was down for a 'few days' as Raph liked to call it. Raph didn't want to square with the fact that he was completely unconscious for nearly two weeks. More than that, he didn't want to die, but he didn't want his family to die trying to save him either.<p>

Evelyn was his first experience in that. He didn't even know her but when he'd learned that she was in fact truly responsible for his getting better, he simultaneously hated her and adored her. She was a point of contention as well, particularly as Payton learned that she was there - drawn into this mess even if she'd been taken back to her mother safely that night. Raph, for the first time, agreed with the doctor wholly. She should not have been brought into this and not to save him. Joey seemed to have another opinion, the two of them heatedly at each others throats in that moment.

"I wasn't going to let anyone die! I'm not about to let Evie die either Payton. Can I point out again that none of this would have happened at all if you would have stopped Elisa from killing Mia? No one is going to DIE!" She snapped as she was clearly sick of hearing everyone talk about someone dying. "Evelyn did exactly as she always does. You don't want her, when she does go, to have a life that wasteful and without purpose. Red is walking, talking purpose for that little girl. Never mind how happy it made her. So quit your bitching and suck it up. Be a proud dad instead of an overprotective one. Your six-year-old-kid out did you. Maybe you're just jealous." She pointed out sharply and Payton's already pink face contorted into a furious scowl.

"Jealous...? Its not about jealousy, Joey! I don't give a God damn if she out does me, that's the least of my worries. I worry if she ends up dead because she's dragged back into this hell hole, this pit, of an existence. I've already had threats on her before, I don't need more to spring up. No, I'm not jealous! But you...you give no consideration to anything but the end goal...free dolls, stop vampires. At what cost? My family? No! I'm sorry, but I have a problem with their sacrifice for whatever sick obsession you have with this God forsaken lifestyle. You might have nothing left to live for, but I'm going to hold onto the little bit I have left."

"Stop. Both of you stop." The voice belonged to a man who had arrived at Shiki's request - and clearly in the right moment as Joey and Payton were both seething, red face and scowling. He was tall and Asian, though blond spears hung around his face rather than the traditional dark hair his nationality normally had. He was broad shouldered and strong, thicker certainly than most of his nationality. He too had massive wings on his back, bigger and stronger than Shiki's and with a rougher texture - but wings no less.. The man was named Daichi and Shiki made it perfectly clear that they were mated. A white, silk band across Daichi's face hid his nose entirely and the third time Mikey asked about it, Daichi had politely bowed to the turtle but curtly asked, 'Why do you wear a mask?" It had made Mikey 'uhhhh...' for long enough that Daichi was able to slip away from the curious Mikey's attention.

"It's not helping." The Corvideathrope slipped between them, his massive wings puffing up as a shield to keep them from being able to make eye contact. "Payton-san, being a father is difficult. It must be balanced with patient temperance and discipline. Never, however, must we stifle their growth. Hiding Evelyn-chan from any potential harm, in your lifestyle - or hers - is impossible. You might bubble her and lock her away for life...but what life would it be? I understand your worry. I also understand your desire to keep her safe. I am just as guilty but I assure you Lucky has had his moments and Amie...well you have personally bore witness to the broken leg I would have rather caught her from. They learn from these things. We won't always be there, but we must trust in what we've taught them. Hope that they make the right choices as a result of our knowledge."

"He's right Payton." Splinter agreed, a sort of knowing tone to match his shiny eyes as Splinter would have worded his answer to the young doctor just as Daichi had. Payton seemed entirely disgruntled by the words, particularly Splinter's agreement in them. Splinter, however, understood Daichi's meaning the most as he too found himself in a position to often push his children to their best - to make a difference and be useful in their skills - and grappled with his innate desire to protect them from all harms. "Sometimes, there are things we cannot protect them from...no matter how we try."

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Payton snapped, glancing towards the two of them. "Maybe that's the case, but this isn't one of those things! We can protect them from _this_, we have...we learned it the hard way, how carelessness leads to their danger. Ask Ash about family in this lifestyle, how broken they become...ask him if he thinks he couldn't have protected him and there was no option but for their end!"

The younger Lionel straightened in his spot, his eyes pinned open and his posture unwavering as he looked baffled by having been thrown into the middle of such a heated topic, one that was clearly weighing on Raph. Raph was the cause of this argument and particularly uncomfortable by the victims taken one by one in it. Ash swallowed hard. "I picked what I do and for it I'm responsible for Tee and Lynnie's death. But...I wouldn't have hidden them away, Payton. Not even if it would change things. Tee...she never would have had that - you and I both know it. Amy barely handles it and that's mostly because she shares your worry."

"Wait, you're not gay?" Casey asked, leaning his arms on the back of the chair he was sitting in turned backwards. He seemed truly confused, if not entirely surprised, by this news. Despite the severity of Ash's words, he was stuck on the fact that there was a Tee - and a Lynnie - for which Ash to speak of. From it, he received a jab to the arm from April, who had been silently standing next to him.

"What?" Ash looked over at Casey and Payton tucked his chin down swiftly. "I'm...neither gay nor not gay. I'm just a person Casey, who finds it difficult to make connections with anyone. Male or female. I had a wife though and a daughter before this started." It was a concept that was particularly intriguing to Don - he had so much of his mind buried in books to discover the inner workings of this machine and how, when put together with this other part, it could do something different. As a result, he often missed the spectacular possibilities of humanity. Ash's words - as he was neither gay nor straight but loved a soul for whoever they were - touched Don. He couldn't understand people, on their base level, half the time because they were so sporadic and wild...like Mikey. But he could understand loving just to love...sometimes those emotions could be explained and yet Ash had in his own way.

"Yes about that..." Leo piped in. "Why did they come after you? How did you get involved in this?"

Payton and Ash glanced at each other. Clearly it was a knowing look, one they'd shared many times. Ash began with a heavy voice, "Joey and Layton. They freed dolls, it's just what they did. Layton, he's our cousin. He'd been doing it for sometime, with Joey, who crashed on he and Winnie's couch for most of the time they were doing it. She's a survivalist. That's what Layton used to say. I'm not sure how she got in the business, I think it was a accident when she was a teenager or something. Anyway, Layton retired when Winnie had Keegan, their son. But Joey...she wasn't ready to quit and she had this idea to inoculate against them. Like a vaccine. Layton's not a doctor, but he knew one and so he told Joey to meet with Payton about her ideas. She was sick of seeing them - the dolls - all strung out and sick. Some dead or incurable. Well Payton thought it could be done - he's a geneticist after all, no matter the species, and it comes down to how the body reacts with new DNA. So he started researching scientifically, with Joey's help on the theories. I did the leg work, getting out every resource I could from every contact I knew about what stopped vampires. That was when the death threats started pouring in. Cutting anything off from their food source would piss anyone off. It's like De Beers and diamonds, only we could possibly hold the cartel on their ability to feed. On humans at least."

"Did you ever find the answer? The cure?" Donnie scrambled forward, his eyes wide with curiosity at the possibility. The science behind it was particularly intriguing and, on a more personal level, he wondered if said inoculation could potentially make them less alluring. That is...if they couldn't bite him, perhaps he wouldn't want that pleasure again. It was scary to remember how it good it felt to be fed from, even for a second, and Don wanted to be sure that feeling couldn't manifest itself to dangerous levels.

"We quit, after Tee was found disemboweled with unborn Lynnie nailed to the tree they'd hung her mother's body from." Payton growled insensitively - he didn't seem to be in his right mind. The normally soft spoken doctor wouldn't be so blunt in front of his brother, but he was clearly upset in a way that was unlike him.

"Even though we gave in to their threats, by stopping - our lives didn't go back to normal. They know we have an unfinished drug that could stop them from their inherent food source. They would kill us if they could catch us. But they need us both. That's why they baited Payton with me. If I die, or he, the other has nothing to follow their trap into. That is...they need one to get the other, otherwise we haven't much more to live for. Joey suffered for it too; at least they actually killed my wife. What they did to Yuki was unspeakable."

Leo had been silently listening, digesting what was being said - that was, at least, until Yuki came up. Of all of them, he felt like he knew Yuki in life rather than in heartless death. He felt a pang of guilt shoot through him once more. He also felt a bit of irritation pass him too at the mere mention of she and Yuki. It was, buried in the back of his mind, a slight tickle of fascination with the snarky fae. He entertained the idea that she respected him likewise, but he couldn't be sure. Leo's eyes drifted over to where Joey had been - the spot was now empty. Leo stood up straight in his spot, stiffly and quick as his head jerked the other way. She wasn't anywhere within his view. Leo also noticed that Raph was missing. "Oh no..." Leo moaned inwardly.

* * *

><p>The sewers were riddled with shadows, it both benefited and infuriated Joey. She could move swiftly, as she stepped into the edge of one, only to step out the of the edge of another some dozen yards ahead. However, the way they played and bounced off from one another, overlapping and blending blurry on the edges made her dizzy, the way that dozens of voices going on all at once bemused and distracted people.<p>

She had been closely watching Raph's shadow in the lair as it was bouncing from one thought to another and his lack of speaking, even to bitch at his brothers, concerned her. She had been the only one that saw him slip out of the lair when talk of how damning this life was on their families filled the others. She had sighed, knowing well what that felt like and how Raph must be taking it as a personal responsibility. She wasn't sure which way he went or where he planned on going therefore she was guessing. It didn't help that she was actually afraid of mythical alligators in the sewers. That was only enhanced by Mikey's eager need to tell her that there _were _and they even knew one.

She barely managed diving out of the way when she saw something with malice intent in the shadows. It was Raph, the narrow point of his sai grazing her arm in his frustration. There was a low growl on his throat when he slipped passed her with no intention to actually hurt her but definitely to startle her. It was his anger and frustration that she had seen flicker across the wall. "Why are you following me?" He snapped.

"To keep you from doing dumb shit - like that." Joey scowled at Raph who was puffing angrily. He gripped tighter to his sai, a security blanket for him in that moment. "I suppose you think running off to 'deal with it' yourself will help matters huh?" She arched an eyebrow lazily and Raph's sai shot forward with perfect precision, spiking the ground between her feet before bouncing off and clanking to the ground a small distance away. A roar echoed in the back of his throat, unleashing his frustration.

"Why are you always mocking everything? Why are _always_ doing that? Yes, _that_- right there!" He pointed at her and ground his teeth together. Her eyes were looking to their feet before she peeked up with a smirk. "Like you know something we don't or you're better or...or something."

"I didn't say that - _you _just did. Sounds like you've got some issues with your own self worth, Raph." Her nostrils flared and for a second Raph was sure she was going to turn her back on him and march away. 'Good,' he thought, 'go!' But it was an empty threat, waiting to see how she would handle him and his natural way. "Wanna knock it off now?" She stalked over to his weapon and picked it up off from the ground. "You're stupid. Completely fucking retarded for wanting to go by yourself. If you are cool with getting yourself killed because it'll save people the trouble, stuff it. That's a pretty damn selfish way to look at the world. What do you think your disappearance and inevitable death would do to your family? I watched Leo melt down a little more every day while you were still alive. I don't even know him that well and I know that behavior isn't normal. Mike - he quit talking. Like...stopped. And Don - Jesus Christ Raph, they'd blame themselves just like you're blaming yourself right now. You wanna die with that on your soul?" She snapped jabbing his sai in his direction.

"For crying out loud! I don't want you to die. At least let me come with you. Then if we both die, it won't be your stupid and lame attempt at being a martyr. I'm not going to stop you from doing something dumb, but I'll at least tag along so it's only half as dumb."

Raph was puffing still, aggravated but he snatched his weapon out of her hand. He didn't see his actions as being selfish in any way. In fact, staying and ignoring the danger would be selfish in more ways than one. "You're the part that's half dumb." It was the best he knew how to say 'thank you for coming with me'. Or at least a thank you for not trying to stop him from going.

"Whatever helps you sleep better at night." She drew one shoulder up in a bored shrug and a lazy, lopsided grin crossed her face.

"Don't get cute." He warned her and she merely chuckled at him. He scowled at her and narrowed his eyes. "Well come on then. And don't make me save you."

"Ditto."

Raph wasn't happy about her being there and he was only partially willing to let her go. He had a plan to try and shake her when they made it topside. He realized that would be impossible as she seemed to anticipate every attempt he made at slipping away. He often forgot she could see things in his shadow that he couldn't even fathom he'd thought. It was still such new information to him, he hadn't the chance to fully digest it all. Truly, he didn't understand half of it anyway. He knew that whatever mess - vampires, visiugo, fae or mages - they were in, they were in it because of him. No question.

"Are you out of your mind?" She caught the rim of his shell just behind his head and she considered grabbing his bandana tails, once she realized where they were. Raph gave his shoulders a hearty shrug and it forced her fingers to break free from touching him. Raph darted forward and leaned over the edge of the building and looked down at the adjacent one. There were scorch marks licking up the front where the windows were busted out.

"Good job Case." Raph appraised and he grinned while Joey glared at him in disbelief.

"You're as retarded as he is. It must be the Y chromosome messing with your mind. It's not cool to be stupid, you know? Showing off doesn't do shit if you're dead." Joey reached forward and caught his arm and jerked him back from the edge of the roof, or attempted to. He was much stronger than her. No longer weakened and sick from the Screamer's wound, he could fight to his fullest. It was the curse itself that was still infecting his body - Raph figured he was riding on a wing and a prayer as it was, living his borrowed time to the fullest. He had little else to lose.

"Ahh, you come for the show." Joey's hands tightened around Raph's arm as her lips hadn't moved to speak. The turtle felt it and was slightly surprised, but it didn't show on his face. The sound of the calm and serene voice seemed to surprise him, though he suppressed that emotion too. "I was just going to visit Elisabeth myself. Cassius, as I understand, is here as well." The words were light and breezy on a highly accented voice, Japanese and fluid, like water. Each word was pronounced perfectly, with focus on each sound. Even still, they slurred slightly together on the harder consonants - it was clear English was not his first language.

Raph wasn't intimidated or threatened as his eyes fell on the broad shouldered Japanese man, in full samurai garb. He didn't look any more intimidating than the Shredder. In fact, the Shredder had more metal that was menacing than this helmet-less man. Raph's sais automatically came out, ready to attack on the defense and Joey's fingertips dug into Raph's arm. "Raph don't."

The Asian man smiled and a set of perfectly teeth with pointed canines appeared. "Indeed. It would be in your best interest to keep from attacking - just yet." He said softly, pausing for his final two words and holding up a hand, then placing it polity behind his back. "I feel, perhaps, I am to understand at least, you are a friend of the man responsible for this. I find that admirable. However, I also understand you were there when Miaroyu was taken from me. I am seeking those responsible. Initially, I believe it to be you. Whatever sort of creature you are. But now, I believe it was Elisa's framing you and yours for it. I could help, protect you from her." The man bowed politely.

"Fuck off, Kenshin. Don't you have an empire to run? Leave us be."

"Feisty as always Joey-chan. I mean to negotiate with the turtle man. I am called Kenshi Miyagi, have you a name?"

"Raphael." The turtle snapped and Kenshin smiled again. He seemed pleased by Raph's willingness - even if rough - to answer his question without hesitation. In fact, the smallest lowering of Raph's sais was visible. It was enough to give the vampire confidence, while Raph was barely aware he had let down even the slightest of his guard.

"Such conviction. I had forgotten what it was like to be alive, and how much passion runs in raw, young inexperience." He said in the same prefect pronunciation, the same meter and songish rhythm. He seemed more amused than anything else. Like when Raph had seen Elisa, he was not able to deny that this man was charming in his handsome majesty too. There was definite allure on them. "I understand you are cursed. I could help with that."

"Raph no!" Joey barked before another word could be spoke but the turtle gave her a jerk behind him and growled softly for her to be quiet.

"Oh yeah?" Raph's eyes turned back to the vampire, his eyes clearly attentive behind his mask. "Big shot - what's your condition to that promise?" He asked with real possibility - it sounded appealing to him, the sort of knowledge he could get directly from the source, something that could offer to him a solution he didn't have before...if the price wasn't too hefty, he was more than willing to pay it.

"No." Joey hissed again from behind him, grabbing Raph's arm and jerking on him. The vampire leader seemed unbothered, or perhaps amused, by Joey's lashing out and pleading with Raph to not listen or entertain this idea. "Raph please...don't listen to him. Remember the body - do you want to become that? You're going down a path that won't be good for you or your family. Tell him to piss off. PISS OFF!" She turned her attention on Kenshin and barked at him, to which he laughed softly.

"Joey, can it!" Raph growled, pushing her off from him with enough force that she smacked into the edge of the roof. He didn't meant to shove her with that strength, but he was bigger than he sometimes could accommodate for and really, his frustration made him a little more aggressive too.

"RAPH!" Leo's voice cut in just as a dart whizzed through the air and punctured Kenshin's neck. The black flight feathers attacked to the shaft were telling as the vampire reached up and plucked the dart out of his dead flesh. He looked at it. "Daichi..." he mumbled.

"Hai!" The Corvideathrope barked from somewhere behind the vampire while Leo sprang to the roof ledge in front of the them, having caught Joey under the arms to help pull her to her feet. The vampire stumbled a little. The massive, charcoal colored wings of the blond bird man sent him into the air so that he landed, with precise accuracy, between the vampire's shoulder blades. They both went to the roof top in a roll and came up fighting. The sound of samurai katana clanked in Kenshin's hand and Daichi's sword met it with ferocity.

"No..." Raph moaned a little bit, dejected as he had hoped to speak further with the vampire who could promise him help. There was no better source than the main one, and really...from what he had been told, Kenshin wasn't exactly friends with Elisa, who started all this, and Cassius, her vampire mate. Therefore, if Raph had Kenshin's support - protection perhaps - the vampire leader might better keep Elisa and Cassius from his family as Kenshin would want the two vampires to suffer without the ability to take revenge; simply because they were enemies to begin with. It was no good, however, as the two expertly circled one another.

"You still fight for Mia-kun, ne Daichi-shi?"

"I fight for everyone you've murdered. Though you might not have been at the hand of Mia's death directly, you were still responsible." Daichi growled, his blond bangs hung around his face dangerously as his eyes narrowed in on his enemy. It was a war they were in the middle of - a war hardly comprehensible for the turtles as it was so extensive, so ancient, in its nature."You brought this on yourself when you chose to defile a visiguo."

"Fine words, oh the irony, coming from an assassin." Kenshin hissed and their swords danced against each other as the their feet expertly moved across the roof top.

"He's a villain, Raphael!" Joey launched forward and gave him a rough shove in the front of his plastron. She had shaken Leo from helping her to her feet, briskly and irritatedly telling him '_I'm fine_'. "I didn't think you were **_that_**stupidly selfish!" She gave him another hearty shove, taking him by surprise as he stumbled back a tiny bit. She was small, but her fire right then radiated off the surface of Raph's shell as evidence by the shove. He puffed up, however, as he twirled his sais in his hand threateningly for her first attack. He, however, didn't have the chance to say anything before another voice cut in.

"Uh...Joey..." Mikey had scaled the fire escape behind Don, his nun chucks in hand. He was pointing to a small dot of blood on the roof. Joey's hand went instantly to her forehead where she had smacked it. When she brought her finger back and looked them over, they were covered in liquid crimson. "You're bleeding."

The color drained from Joey's face and her eyes came up to meet Leo's. The leader made a soft 'oh' sound and Joey frowned hard. "I have to get out of here." She said sharply and in an obvious panic. She had barely scrambled backward, towards the roof's edge, and Elisa had her around the waist. The vampire had moved so fast that none of them even saw it happen or knew where she came from. She was down there, Joey knew it - Kenshin had said she was, Cassius too. It happened fast though, too fast for any of them to react. Elisa hoisted Joey up while a scurry of hands could be heard on the roof top, like thousands upon thousands of bugs crawling up a single wall. Dozens of vampires descended on the roof, clearly they were those who had been without a place to go now that their pleasure pit was destroyed.

Elisa's fangs dipped into the flesh of Joey's neck in an instant. The vampire was in a frenzy after smelling the blood on Joey's face from where Raph pushed her hard enough to fall. Unable to stop herself, Elisa gave no mind to the fact that drinking straight fae blood would kill her. That part didn't matter so much as it was the high, the lust for Joey's blood that caught Elisa into a spiral of obsession and desire. A scream escaped Joey's throat as she thrashed against the vice-like grip of the vampire. The more she squirmed, the harder Elisa grabbed her. She managed scrambling free partly, but Elisa still had her mouth heavily sunken into Joey's neck as if her fangs were snake-like and latched on. She was tugging against the vampire who was pulling back and it was ripping at the meaty part of Joey's neck.

"NO!" Leo's own throat opened up as he spotted what was transpiring. Mikey lunged forward, his weapons spinning with furious, deadly speed; Don jumped to action too as his bo staff was held firmly in his hands. The wooden handle of Mikey's nunchucks cracked the skull of the nearest monster and Raph's sai pierced the neck. With a hearty jerk, his weapon ripped through the dead flesh and before the head could actually fall off, the monster puffed into a pile of ash. Don was equally as threatening across the roof as he smacked and crushed in the skulls of vampires, sweeping them off their feet. The point wasn't to kill them, not for Don at least - that would be a boon. It was, instead, to keep them away from devouring Joey as they all seemed to be rushing towards her direction. Meanwhile, Leo sprang into action of his own. He sprinted forward just as Joey went limp against Elisa's grasp. His leg swept at their feet and both women tumbled to the ground; Joey barely conscious and Elisa gorging herself so readily she wasn't easily distracted. Furthermore, Elisa blood was getting hot from the raw magic of Joey's blood killing her. It was too late for the vampire. The second she had the first raw drop, she was doomed.

"Leo..." Joey managed mumbling. "Don't...not yet." She mumbled as blood bubbled up her throat and slicked her lips. A drop rolled down from the corner of her mouth, drawing a red line down her peach cheek. The turtle was furious and focused, but Joey's words sunk in and he knew her meaning. They needed Elisa still. Leo's katana cut through the air with a wild shriek as if it was a Screamer all it's own, the metal slicing through nothing but the night. However he brought it down straight through Elisa's breast bone, pinning her to the roof as she'd been disengaged from Joey's neck. She was more animal than anything else right then, writhing against the metal of Leo's sword, thrashing like an epileptic spasm. Half with the effort to get back to her feeding on Joey and half from the delirium of drinking straight fae blood at all.

"Mike." Leo barked. "Give me your weapon."

The orange clad turtle looked up in shock, having just come up from leaping onto one of the frenzied beasts. "Huh?"

"NOW!" Leo returned the demand.

"Incoming." Mikey called back, catching his weapon expertly so it stopped buzzing and he pitched one in Leo's direction. Leo caught it with ease before he dropped one end to the ground. The shaft at an angle where he was holding it up with his hand on the other side. It was with a horrible crack that Leo stomped on the wooden shaft of Mike's nun chuck, breaking the weapon into splinters. A squeak came from Mikey as he heard it and his hands went in his mouth - horrified. It distracted him enough to get pummeled by a nearby monster; both hitting the ground heavily and with a thud. Leo, however, didn't have time to look up. Instead, he was focused on what he was doing; brushing away the splinters of Mikey's weapon, it left behind only the metal bracket that attached the two pieces of wood by the chain. The forging of the metal, however, acted as a cup in which Leo dipped under the wound he'd created in Elisa's chest. Leo gathered drops of her blood in the destroyed remains of his brother's coveted weapon. It would, potentially, save Raph's life. As it filled to the top, the other sword, in his free hand, sliced across Eliza's neck, severing it from her body.

Nothing was left but ash piled high on the roof top, which blew away in the wind.

Daichi saw the look in Kenshin's eyes go feral in a second, glassy and covered in desire and lust. He didn't know it was because the smell of Joey's blood hit the air and all the vampires were starting to go mad with the craving. His head jerked over, as he'd heard the screaming echoing from Joey and even the puff of air that came at Elisa's disappearance. He hissed slightly seeing what transpired. He didn't know what led to it, as he was busy - but Joey's bloody body wasn't a good sign - it was danerous. He dropped his arms; spilling his weapons on the ground. His wings hoisted him up and he darted forward agilely on the wind. "Get your brothers and get out of here - now." He hissed at Leo. Joey was in his arms in a second, and he took her straight up into the air. Leo hadn't had time to truly protest, though he had moved to start.

In an instant, all the monsters the turtles fought - Raph with three surrounding him and his sais soaked to the handle in blood, Don with his bo staff sweeping up and underneath them while he tried to help Mikey back to his feet - didn't seem to pay any attention to them. All the monsters were interested in what was going on with the fae's body rather than the fight they were having with turtles. They all came together, pushing past one another and climbing on backs of some to try and reach the ever climbing winged man and Joey's body. It gave the four brothers a chance to hurry to safety, diving into the sewers to avoid the frenzy that were hungry, disappointed and angry vampires on the roof.

* * *

><p><em>"Still confused huh?" Ash asked, once more finding his way into the lab. "Amy's taken Evie and left. Payton's brooding. What's so bad with what you're reading now?" Ash asked as the expression on Don's face was telling for it's disappointed nature.<em>

_"I think a better question is - what's **not** wrong with what I'm reading? He was there...Cassius was in just as much a frenzy as she was," Don said in a soft, almost defeated tone as he plopped his chin in his hand. "Do you ever think we did the wrong thing - that you did? Was Payton right? About family and this lifestyle. Look at where it got Casey - and he didn't even do anything. We should have just stayed out of it." Don shrugged and sighed. He was so easily susceptible to the pains of disappointment that they descended on Don sometimes like a soul crushing plague._

_"Never. I never think I did the wrong thing. At least I'm still fighting. Someone else would have given up by now and what purpose would that serve? If we gave up, Don, we'd be dead and there would be a trail of bodies in our wake. We have to keep plowing forward. I really think you need to take a break from that thing. It's poisoning your perception."_

_"No." Don scrambled forward and scooped up the papers, hugging them to his chest as he was unprepared to part with them. "No...I'm not done."_


	19. You Know That I'm Scared Too

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>**Part II  
><strong>Chapter 3 Part I:  
><span>You Know That I'm Scared Too<span>

_"Don! Don!" April pushed the door to his lab open and hurried in - again, another person without knocking. The turtle had been sleeping, face first on his desk with papers scattered all around him for the way his body rested on top. She gave him a soft shake though he was already waking up from the noise alone. "Ash is with Leo asking questions. Payton's with Mikey and Daichi's with Raph."_

_"What? Why?" Don rubbed his eyes, confusion sinking into panic for April's behavior. He was barely sitting up as sleep was shoved from his mind; it made his head heavy for how quickly he was pulled from slumber. The red head moved forward and scooped up the court testimony. In a swift moment, she pitched it into Don's garbage can. "Hey!" He protested slowly, but she caught his shoulders and gave him a little shake. He sighed, frowning heavily as their eyes met._

_"Forget the testimony, Don. It's flawed you, know that. Nothing in there means anything, its just a bunch of lies that are wasting everyone's time...and could end up with Casey in jail when he didn't do anything! Something happened today in the trial and we need to figure out what. It changes everything." April's business suit fit her just right. She looked quite professional, Don would have noticed, if it weren't for the things spewing from her mouth. She dipped down in front of him. Naturally, she had been at the trial, firmly situated on the side of the defense as her fiancé stood trial. She would not back down; in fact, it brought out the fighter in her and she was willing to bite and snap at anyone who claimed him to be a criminal or villain. "Something was already amiss. These things take months to actually make it to a judge. Sometimes years, even, for something like a murder. It's been what? A week since Elisa was killed? There's too much evidence, too much paperwork to be filled out before this kind of trial actually takes place. Cassius had to have paid someone off to get this to go quickly. Its the only way and its not as if he doesn't have the money to do it. Enough people given enough money will do anything. No doubt to cover the tracks and blood on his hands - not Casey's. We're at the mercy of his unfair advantage."_

_"Whoa, settle down April." Don held up his hands. "I didn't say he did it. Regardless of how it came about, its still a trial...people are watching this. We have people on our side. But Casey wasn't even there, and that will show too...eventually, if he ever gets to talk. I know he didn't do it. If it was anyone, it was Leo that physically did her in. But putting Leo on trail isn't possible - they won't quite believe that the mutant turtle killed the vampire, now would they? Besides, she was dead long ago." Don explained rationally as these thoughts had long ago filled his head - how it was Leo who should be up there and while he was glad Leo wasn't, it was unfair for Casey to take any sort of fall. And even more unfair as neither did it out of malice intent, but to actually save lives. Elisa had already been almost dead, on her way to extinction, from the power of fae blood...all Leo had done was speed up the process. If anything, he gave her a less torturous death as it was instant. He knew that April was just wound up tight, and she should be. He felt guilty for it._

_"I know...I'm sorry Don. I just...I'm so mad I could -"_

_"Hey." Don cut her off softly, in an attempt to ease the tension and Aprils frazzled mind. He caught her shoulders this time, getting her to sit down in one of the chairs nearby. He bent forward some, eyes widened as if his eyebrows were arched, despite not being in existence. "What happened?"_

_She shook her head a little bit. "Not yet. I need you to help me remember what happened exactly first. It's imperative, Don...for Casey, for Leo...for all of us." She told him, her eyes settling on him. There was determination in her face that kept it from being obvious what transpired earlier that day in the court room. Don was itching to know the answer, to have the transcripts in front of him. Perhaps the lies were so outlandish, they had caused even more a stir...or, perhaps, they were finally truths. He wasn't quite sure, but he had the mind to get to the bottom of it. However April wanted it. Leo had not gone that day, Don knew it too, so that was a relief of something that could have happened in the courtroom._

_"Let me think..."_

* * *

><p>They had all arrived in the lair in a matter of minutes, their feet knowing the exact path. There could have been trails of smoke behind them for how swift they were, friction against the concrete fiercely heating the surface. There were bits of blood dripping from them and dotting the ground, though it was unsure to whom that blood belonged. Some was their own, some was from Joey and some were from vampires too. When they descended into the sewer, they did so with Don pulling up the rear. He was making sure they weren't being followed in any way. He set up alarms as he went, triggering certain parts of his system that ensured no one would go undetected. The blood that covered them made Ash shrink back, as he'd been the first to meet them at the door. Payton, however, was seconds behind his brother. "What happened? Who's hurt?" He asked frantically. The disagreement from before gave way to his doctor instincts. Shiki was up too, but his concern was less on whom was harmed as his voice came out sharply. "Where's Daichi?" His eyes narrowed slightly.<p>

"With Joey." Don huffed. "Mikey - he's hurt." The orange clad turtle shook his head and mumbled something about just a scratch but he was favoring a twisted ankle that Payton immediate dropped down to look at. Payton gingerly touched the ankle, though a stifled whimper from Mikey made the doctor take even more precaution. "It's okay, Mike...he'll fix you up." Don assured him, taking his brother's hand and squeezing it encouragingly. Don had scratches and blood on his face too, mostly from the sharp fingernails of the vampires as they tried to claw around him. The raven-man's eyes went to the door where he expected Daichi and Joey to emerge from any second now. Just as Don had said and it would be on Don's head should Daichi and Joey not appear.

"What were you thinking!" Leo snapped before anything further could be said. He had rounded on Raph, his eyes set on his brother while he even had a katana still held in his hand, as if he were prepared to attack with more than just words. There was a measure of danger in his voice when the words hit the air. His eyes lingered on Raph for a moment before he turned on his heels, though still holding his weapon, and jammed the small cup of Elisa's blood in Payton's direction. "From the vampire...for Raph - at the cost of Joey's life!" He barked, loud enough to echo a little off the lair walls.

"What?" Ash straightened in his spot and Payton stared at Leo with wide eyes, the small end of Mikey's weapon cradling the last bit of hope for the red-wearing turtle. "You're sure?" Payton said setting the precious liquid aside safely. Leo was completely uninterested in what worry was etched on Payton's face or the shock on Ash's, he was focused on Raph.

"What were you doing up there to begin with?" Leo demanded. He sounded angry - not simply disappointed in Raph's decision, not even offended or confused. Leo was thoroughly angry at Raph for what had happened on the roof, for the danger he put Joey in. And it showed clearly on his face and in the very tone of his voice.

Raph wasn't in the best state of mind to be hearing his brother's words. He kicked at the ground, his eyes settled there as his jaw was set tight. It wasn't clearly if he was fighting back tears - of guilt and worry - or if he was trying not to hit Leo for how he felt attacked. "It was an accident."

"An accident he calls it! Which part? The part where you were on the roof or the part where you made Joey bleed around a bunch of vampires with nothing to dilute the scent? The part where you nearly - if not entirely - got her killed? Because of your carelessness.." Leo hissed, his chest was heaving and there was full out rage in his voice. "You give no mind to anyone - anyone at all - that exists outside your own bubble of selfishness. She didn't deserve to be hurt because of you! None of us do! We are in this mess because you can't even properly protect yourself - and Joey has to take the fall for that. Selfish, Raph...you're more selfish than I could have ever imagined." He growled.

"What happened?" Ash demanded for an answer. The two brothers, however, were honed in on one another. They were like two circling cats - Leo had his katana still in his hand and had even scraped the tip of the blade across the ground in his frustrated rant. And Raph, in turn, had peeked up from the shadows of his eyes to scowl further at the demeaning words of his brother. Don's hand reached out and caught Ash's wrist. The man went momentarily stiff at the contact but he didn't brush Don away. Instead, he felt his jaw tighten to keep himself from speaking further.

It wouldn't have mattered though as words clearly eluded the turtle in that moment. Leo instantly launched himself forward, the blade scraping again with a dangerous sound before he swung it forward. It all happened before Raph even considered a fight as his anger was directed towards himself too, just like Leo's. In a flurry of weapons and anger, the two here in a heated battle. Leo was going for blood and Raph was shocked to find himself on the defense of Leo's expert skill. Every hit of his katana through the air was countered with a slice of a sai before they both struggled to stop the other. When they did break apart, they both dove for more with a growl from Leo's throat and a grunt of annoyance from Raph. It was in a swift movement - perhaps half luck and have determination - that Leo had managed to slice a big chunk of Raph's cheek. Leo hadn't the chance to consider what he did - what drove him to such a frenzy and the sort of uncontrolled emotions he felt. Instead, he pressed the tip of the katana up to Raph's throat and hissed at him in a low warning voice as his eyes narrowed in on his brother. "I should rip out your throat so that you might feel an ounce of what she does."

Raph was hardly ready to let it be the end of their fight, verbally or physically, but Splinter's door opened as the shouts and noise clearly gleaned his attention. His eyes narrowed in on the two turtles, clearly disappointed by their squabble. He had moved forward and it was just as his voice was about to call out to them that the door to the lair slid open and Daichi sprinted in. He was panting but didn't dare stop in his forward momentum. Blood dripped from his elbows and his wings remained up but were drawn flat together to help him slice through the air rather than out to slow him, as if ship sails. "She's alive." The band that was normally across his face had been removed, revealing a scar diagonal across his nose - still somewhat fresh as it was pink and angry - but was now tied around Joey's neck snugly. It was saturated fully with blood, so much so it didn't appear to be white anymore, but Daichi kept her head cradled in is arm as not to disturb her neck any more than necessary. "Shiki...quickly. Payton...please." Daichi pleaded as he placed her directly on the ground with no care as to what was getting blood on it.

"Take this." Payton said, scooping up the cap of Elisa's blood and handed it to Donnie. "Do not spill it, keep it safe." He rushed to where Shiki was already crouched aside his mate and the barely hanging onto her last strands of life - Joey.

Leo had dismissed his fight with Raph and darted forward. He too dropped to his knees by her feet, out of the way of the doctors. He didn't pay mind to any of them, in fact - Don, Raph and Mikey all fell away from his thoughts as he was focused on her. "Joey..." he whispered, horrified by all the blood covering her. Payton had started to unwrap the band around her neck, exposing ripped and destroyed muscle along with teeth marks puncturing most of the surface. It was very grotesque, bloody and meaty in flesh. Shiki was instructing Daichi what items he should fetch from the bag that Shiki had. Payton, on the other hand, had asked Ash to hand him a pouch on the table where he'd been blending liquids and powders and such. Both returned obediently and Leo watched, from Joey's feet, helplessly.

"It may be best, Leonardo-san, if you leave." Shiki said without looking up, though with concern in his voice. Clearly this man knew of what it meant to watch someone fight for their life, when that person was cared about very much. He didn't want Leo to suffer that, nor bare witness to it.

"I'd rather stay." He answered firmly, with ultimate conviction. Shiki would have to make him bodily if he truly wanted Leo out of the room. Otherwise, he would stay out of their way and be with Joey while she was treated. He could convince himself it was because he felt partly responsible.

* * *

><p><em>"Leo..." Ash's voice was calm, as was his body. The look in his eyes, however, gave away the rather frantic need for his questioning the blue-clad turtle. April was in Don's lab right then, doing the very same while Payton and Daichi were elsewhere in the home with the others. "It's important."<em>

_"Everything's important right now, Ash. Everything. I won't leave her." He answered firmly, kneeling next to Joey's bedside. He had skirted away enough times to view the trial himself that he wasn't ready to go again - he was content right then with being around Joey for a little while. She, however, was sitting up and looking rather displeased, albeit peaky. He was just glad she was awake at all, even if still very sick and injured._

_"Whatever you have to say Ash...say it." Joey instructed, her voice someone what raspy and soft in decibel as it was clearly hard for her to talk. But the tone to it was as strong as ever. "Stop acting like I'm not right here and as if I might die."_

_Ash sighed at them both, though he nodded his head. "What's the last thing you remember about that night, Leo?" The turtle's eyes flickered over to Ash and he hesitated a moment._

_"What's this got to do with the trial, Ash?" Leo was almost on the defense, though he had shifted a little uncertainly in his spot._

_"Maybe nothing...and maybe everything. I need to know what you remember, please. Tell me."_

* * *

><p>Leo had never seen anything like it in his life. Payton had instructed Shiki to give him a moment. There was a brief exchange that included Shiki sitting back on his heels while Payton dusted Joey's body in a fine purple powder. They were clearly giving each other the chance to perform their particular brand of medical magic. He was mumbling something in a language Leo was sure he'd never heard and he wondered, momentarily, if it was a real language. However, Joey's body started to glow softly as a result. The hue that came off her was red and little crystals formed, hovering over her body like a bout of rain just waiting to drop. They hummed softly as the spun in their hovering spots.<p>

The glow they had started to fade off and the harmonious humming lulled to a stop just as Payton's mumbling fell wayside too. He ran his hand one final time down the length of her body. As his arm passed her, the glow completely subsided too along her skin. The crystals had started to disappear too, dissipating into what was just thin air. At that point, Shiki leaned forward and, with nimble fingers, went to work on the spot on her neck, sealing it with sutures. He had sewn it closed and applied a paste to the wound and then wrapped her neck in the hand woven gauze that he had wrapped Raph's shoulder in. All the while, Leo silently prayed for her to have a safe recovery - to see her dark, teasing eyes looking back at him.

"Her blood has been regenerated to the best of my ability." Payton explain. "The wound closed by Shiki's expert hand. It's the most we can do. Now we wait for her body to do the rest - its a remarkable thing, the human body. Its her spirit I worry for." Payton told Leo, who had knelt by the futon where Joey's body had been relocated. It was his, he had insisted that she be brought to a more comfortable place. Leo bowed his head in silent gratitude towards both physicians. "She...means a lot to you doesn't she?" Payton asked softly but Leo merely looked up to him.

"Everyone means something to me." He responded ambiguously. Payton simply nodded again, not further pushing the matter. "Perhaps." The doctor uttered. He then promised to check in soon and left Leo there to be with Joey. The turtle had gathered a bowl and cloth. He filled it with warm water and very gingerly cleaned the blood from her face, off her arms and hands. Every bit of easily exposed flesh Leo diligently and slowly bathed clean, periodically changing out the discolored water. It made his heart ache in pain for her, all that blood...he could only imagine the sort of agony she had gone through as Elisa tried to quite literally to eat her alive. After he'd sufficiently cleaned her, he leaned back and crossed his legs, allowing himself to slip into meditation. After all, it was the only real way for him to rest.

It as in the emptiness of his mind that he heard her. "What took you so long?"

The abstract place seemed to suit them, the recess of his mind, though this time it wasn't the unconsciousness of everyone - it wasn't the Dreaming. It belonged only Leo as this place was very familiar to him. Even so he was startled to hear her penetrate into the depths of his mind. He wondered if he was fabricating her or if she was really there. "I...I didn't want you to die."

"Oh hot shot, there's no stopping it when that moment comes. No need wasting your energy on not wanting it. It'll come no matter what. It wasn't my moment though. Thank God." Leo could hear that smile in her voice. He turned around in his spot. Of course it was all theoretical as - in his mind - he had no real body with which to turn. His vision, however, shifted as if he had moved. But he saw her - she looked like she had in the Dreaming. She was happy, or appeared to be, and her skin was aglow with peace.

"Yeah." He agreed, with a sigh as it was a reality he didn't want to fully accept.

"You seem sort of...good with that. Like, maybe you're relieved." Joey pointed out, an eyebrow arched on her forehead.

"I am." He told her instantly, with no shame or guilt for his feeling. It felt safe here, in his mind, like he was incapable of being harmed; even emotionally. "I am glad this wasn't your moment to die."

"Why?" She asked taking a few steps closer to him. She pushed him and sometimes made him furious. In fact, it seemed a regular occurrence with her, but she made him _feel_; and feel big. If it was anger, then he felt it explode in his chest. If it was sadness, it consumed his entire soul. And if it was happiness, he felt it all the way to the tingling tips of this toes and fingers. He liked that she rubbed him raw and made him question things - particularly himself. It made him feel like a better person for it, because she forced him to accept that he had purpose. Purpose for his brothers, for what he was doing when helped people, the sort of purpose he always hoped to have but never fully believed he did. But he also liked that, deep down, part of him wanted to catch her when she fell and another part of him wanted to make the happy glow around her in this place stick. He wanted to bring her feeling too, in the same way she so effortlessly presented him.

"Isn't it obvious? Can't you see in my shadow?" He asked.

There was a smile on her face, not bored or lazy - just a smile, honest and genuine. "Hey, do you see any shadows here?" She retorted, reaching out and taking him by the shoulders. She gave him a small shake. "It's just us, Leo, as we are underneath all that fancy exterior. I don't have the upper hand or anything. This is your mind, after all. You should have it if either of us does. I'm asking - and hoping for a truthful answer...why?" She repeated swiftly, giving a him another small shake of his shoulders as the question escaped her.

Leo opened his mouth to answer. However, before any words could come, her mouth fastened to his in a moment of absolute spontaneity. Leo was about feeling, about letting the moment consume him and it was hard to plan such emotion. Therefore he felt it spark in his chest, giving him nothing but a warm and tingling sensation that radiated across his plastron and into the thick skin underneath. Her lips were soft and he felt a surge of serenity and heat simultaneously pass through him. She didn't deepen the kiss, nor did he - instead, they both clung to its softness for several long seconds as her hands slipped down his arms and found their way into his. When they parted and his eyes flicked open, he was no longer looking at the bright, white insides of his mind; instead, his eyes took in the familiarity of the darker sewers.

Disappointment dipped into his heart and his head dropped down, his chin pressing to his plastron as the comfort and truth he'd had in what he felt and heard bled out of him. He could still feel the warmth against his lips and, right then, wished he hadn't awoke from his bout of fantasy. That was, at least, until he realized - as all of his senses returned - that his hand wasn't empty. He blinked several times at Joey's hand nestled comfortably in his. His eyes followed her arm up to her face. "Now it's pretty obvious." She spoke very weakly, with an equally weak smile - but a smile none the less. Her eyes brightened slightly and, for that very brief second, felt like he'd succeeded; she was happy.

"I'll get Payton or Shiki."

She shook her head softly but winced when it jostled her neck some. Leo, in turn, cringed a little at her clear pain. "How about you fetch yourself for a minute or two, hand me over some of that warm feeling you somehow managed in my chest, even when I hate you for it - in a good way. Then you can get the good doctors. I just want my spirit to feel better right now and I'm pretty sure Payton and Shiki'll epic fail at that. But not you...not Leo." She let her eyes flutter shut and she squeezed his hand lightly before giving it a weak tug in her direction, silently begging him to come closer to her.

He obliged.

* * *

><p><strong>::Author's Note::<strong>

This chapter requires one of these handy dandy little author's notes. We broke this chapter up into 'Part I' and 'Part II' because it's a fairly long portion and we already have weighty enough chapters. We really hope you're enjoying this, even in its smallest measurement. Please, if you have a moment, and you feel it in your heart to be kind, leave us a few words. We'd love to hear what you think. - Stoic and Harley


	20. This Sacrificial Offering

****Sing to Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>****Part II  
><strong>Chapter 3 Part II:  
><span>This Sacrificial Offering<span>

_"I didn't mean to!" Mikey howled before Payton even opened his mouth. The doctor drew his head back a little bit at Mike's wail that was so loud it echoed in the room around them. He was panicking, Payton could tell._

* * *

><p>"So can I like…touch it?"<p>

There was a soft, delicate chuckle that came from Daichi at Mikey's innocent question. It could be intrusive for some, particularly as bruised and hurt as he was. It was hard, however, to be offended by Mikey when he spoke so sincerely and interested. There was a rustle of feathers as Daichi simply bowed his head in agreement. It gave Mikey the chance to reach out with his green fingers and stroke the soft feathers of Daichi's charcoal wings. They were soft like silk, smooth to the touch and very light in texture as Mikey couldn't get enough. It was like touching his favorite blanket, he would stroke the velvety underside as much as he could just to feel how delicate and perfect it was. A wicked smile crossed Mikey's face - clearly he was smitten like a child in awe.

"It's so soft-it looks so rough though. I wish I had wings, it'd be cool, right, Don? If we had wings?" Mikey cooed, glancing to his brother who smiled fondly before shrugging his shoulders. He looked amused by the concept, even more amused by the innocence to Mikey's question.

"Aren't you a little heavy for wings, Michelangelo?" Daichi inquired softly, almost teasingly though it was hard to tell with the man. Mikey scoffed in an instant, waving a dismissive hand to the question.

"Details! Don here, he's a genius…he'd figure something out. Some apparatus to make the blahs do their thing and the whatchamacallits work right. If anyone can make it happen, its Don." Mikey was clearly very proud of his brother as he told Daichi, singing praise of Don's accomplishments. All the while, he was still stroking the underside of Daichi's wings. He jumped a little when Daichi's wings gave an involuntary flick, due to how he brushed a feather and hit a nerve. "You can feel that?" Mikey asked, astonished.

The blond raven reached over and rapped his knuckles against Mikey's shell. It made him jump a little too, surprised by it. "Can you feel that?" He challenged with a teasing smile before Mikey laughed, clearly understanding the concept though he took to feeling Daichi's wings again.

"Shiki, he says you are both from Japan. And that there, you lived in a nest. Is that true?" Don asked, curious about where these people came from. They were mostly recovering, there was nothing they could do right now as wounds still needed to be mended, Shiki and Payton were both working on it. Don, however, had so many questions and so few answers. It felt like every answer he was given, he was also handed ten more questions. The first of which were the origins of all these people - he wondered, for a moment, how vast this world could really be. If they missed this much, how much more lurked out there? How much more knowledge was there to gain by learning of it? They were secluded in the sewers and more in the singular city than Don realized. He felt in control of how much knowledge he had, but in instances like this he was reminded at how segregated they were. He leaned forward to listen while Mike did too, half enthralled by the story and half by the feathery wings.

"Hai. We lived in Japan all our lives - it was only in our young adulthood that we moved to the United States. He told you about the nest?" Daichi smiled softly. "Yes, we lived in the mountains of Japan in a home made entirely of Nature's goods. Branches, bark, leaves and woven vines. It was…perhaps…the most organic place I have ever lived. It was home, I do miss it."

"Why did you leave?" Don asked, pushing forward with his plethora of questions. He had a feeling that there was more to this story, that there was something to be had. Splinter's insistence that Shiki leave still worried Don - he didn't see the tendencies towards violence that Splinter spoke of. In fact, they seemed like such docile creatures…not for their profession, he knew of Daichi's skills. Instead, for their demeanor, they were very kind beings. In fact, the entirety of the culture intrigued Don.

"Ahh, because of the Flight. I would have imagined Shiki kept those truths a secret. I, however, am apt to truth as it is what led me here. It is what saved me. You must understand that there are many of our kind who are…shall we say…monsters." Mikey's hands stopped moving and he looked up sharply to Daichi, clearly worried by the news. He couldn't fathom how anyone with such pretty, soft wings could be a monster. "They will feed off anyone they can and control any situation with brute force and dilapidated emotion. A vampire bites and tortures their victims…a visiugo manipulates until their victim is a dictator. They strove for control, still do I imaging. Nothing about the world is safe, no matter what world you choose to call home. We had to leave our nest to escape that life, the dangers of being something neither of us are. We are meant to be children of Nature and some…such as our brothers in Japan…forget that."

"We know all about that, don't we Don?" Mikey spoke softly, uncharacteristically nostalgic as he looked to his brother. "About people forgetting who they are…that's scary. I wouldn't want to live in a world like that either. I'm glad you left though, you know? 'Cause you're here now…and you can help us."

"Hai." Daichi spoke in his light accent, nodding his head. "We are here now, offering our assistance - what our kind should be doing. It's an interesting home you have all your own - far from the nest I knew and the home I know now. But home nonetheless." Daichi gestured to the sewer around them and Mikey nodded proudly again, jumping up a little bit to sweep around the room.

"It is! It's our home - see here, our couch and our sign here and that room over there, that's Don's lab and up there, that's where we sleep and Master Splinter is over there." He was pointing around before he dipped down again to kneel next to where Daichi was. "We're kinda alike, you and us. We've had our fair share of trouble and dictators, you know? Plus, we made our home out of scrap stuff too - like an urban nest! We weren't born of Nature or anything cool like that, but we were different before we became this. You know…just regular turtles. And then some green stuff dropped down on our heads and bam! This cute really does happen overnight." Mikey grinned, patting his own cheek before he laughed. Daichi even managed a slim smile, clearly amused too - though he hid it a little by his hand.

"Right, Mikey…" Don snorted too. "That's not exactly what happened." Don explained in detail that the ooze had contaminated them when they were baby turtles. Splinter had found them and raised them to be the skillful turtles they were now, sentient beings that hadn't really surfaced to the city until they were teenagers. He recalled, almost bitterly and sad, that they were the cause of a random happenstance - nothing special, nothing more than a science experiment gone wrong.

"No." Even Mikey looked over for how sharply Daichi had interjected. "You are meant to be as you are. It may seem like science, but these things…they do happen for a reason. They happen because they are meant to, science or not. They are not mutually exclusive concepts, but a cohesive unit that creates our existence, Don. That is…while it may be science that caused this, the possibilities lie in Nature herself. She wished it for you…and so you are." Daichi nodded firmly at his assessment just as a door had opened and the younger Lionel appeared, having books cradled in his arms. Don was staring at Daichi, slightly confused and disbelieving as again, the concept of faith over science rattled his brain. He liked the sound of it though-to exist not solely because of an accident, but because they were meant to. He let that thought fester in his mind, as somewhere deep down he believed it too and faith and science interwined, as Ash spoke.

"I've got the books you've asked for - as much as I could get without being caught. We're not exactly inconspicuous anymore."

Don nodded, excusing himself so that it was just Mikey and Daichi left in the room. "Did you mean it?" Mikey asked, almost in awe of Daichi's assessment. "That we're something special like that? Like you?" His innocence was clear as he wanted to believe it too, in fact he did. If Daichi said it was so, there was no reason not to trust and believe his words. Daichi merely smiled and nodded before he spoke.

"Yes, Michelangelo. I do mean those words - we all exist for a reason. There is an order, a balance even, to magic - to life. We must have one to have the others, this balance. You are magic too…in your own way. We all are, its just whether we choose to believe it or not that makes a difference. Pass me that vial." Daichi gestured to where the vile thick with blood was - Elisa's blood. Mikey picked it up carefully, passing it to the man, "Do you see this here? It is not simply blood of a vampire, but magic. It's existence is magic, Mikey. Our existence, our lives, are magic…it doesn't have to be something tangible like Joey's shadows or Shiki's medicine or Payton's powders to be magical. A miracle can exist simply because it does." Daichi showed him, to which Mikey nodded.

He wasn't dumb - that was for sure, he could understand things just as easily as Don if they were the right thing. And, even more so, like Daichi's words - he could understand it better than Don. He nodded enthusiastically, clearly understanding what Daichi meant in that moment. He wasn't about science or logical problem solving. Instead, he was about heart and feeling - he could most definitely understand the strength in feeling over mathematical equations. Right then, Daichi spoke of simply feeling - from his heart. He spoke of feeling alive, feeling magical just for the fact that he was a living and breathing being. Mikey, however, smiled in response to him. "Does this mean I could have wings too?"

Daichi snorted softly, shaking his head. "Perhaps, Michelangelo. Perhaps. Certainly in your imagination where magic is born." He offered the vial back to Mikey, instructing him to take it to a safe place. He mentioned that he needed to find Shiki, he was worried for where he was. Mikey took the vial and looked down at it, left alone in the room for that moment. It looked so insignificant, but it gave him shivers as he thought about what it was. "Vampire blood." He mumbled, tipping the vial in his hand so it sloshed down and coated the glass in a thin sheen of red. It had to be magical - if this could save Raph, then it was nothing but a miracle. He was so intently looking that he didn't anticipate someone entering the room, or the gruff 'Mikey!' that resounded through the room.

It happened so fast, he wasn't at all prepared for how to stop it. He jerked a little in his spot, surprised by the noise and slightly on alert as a result. But his fingers slipped and down went the vial, gravity playing its evil trick as it pulled it faster and faster to the ground. It hit the concrete with a small smash, but that sound echoed louder than anything in Mikey's ears. His jaw fell slack and he stared, bug eyed, down to where there was red splattered all over the floor and up his leg for the position it landed. His heart stopped in his chest and he heard nothing but that repeated ringing. "I…" He choked out, tears instantly welling in his eyes. "I…"

He didn't acknowledge whoever was in the room, oblivious to their moving closer and asking what he had done. Instead, he dropped down and started to try and gather the blood back up into a pool. Instead, he managed to scrape his fingers against the glass. Little shards embedded into his skin, stinging in pain. All he managed to do was soak his finger tips in the blood, coating them further rather than getting enough blood to recover. "No…" He moaned, a tear dropping down from his face so that the liquid collided with the blood and started to dilute it, mingling in. "No no!" He scrambled up, frantic and panicked, and moved to stop the tears too as they were part of the problem.

"Mikey!" He heard it again and it wasn't until he felt Raph's hand on his arm, jerking him to stand up, that he looked away from the spilled blood. His face was covered now too, as he had tried to wipe away the intrusive tears.

"Raph…I…" His voice shook as he looked back and forth between the blood and his brother's face. "I didn't…I didn't mean…I'm so sorry…"

* * *

><p><em>Daichi and Raph were sitting across from one another - the standoff between the two was never more obvious than in that moment. They could not place more distance between each other without actually leaving the blond Asian man with the band across his nose to hide a scar on his face was waiting patiently as the turtle stared at him. The air was so saturated with unrelenting silence that it was a wonder they could breathe for how heavy the air was.<em>

_"You're wings don't intimidate me." Raph said briskly, cutting through the thickness with the sharp point of his proverbial knife. "I got stuff on my back too and ten to one says mine protects me better than yours."_

_"I'll take the one." Daichi answered stiffly, prepared for the challenge. "You can't fly with shell; besides, you know how to use yours and I know how to use mine. It's not a contest, Raphael. Can we not just call it a draw and consider, for a second, we are equal in our ability for its uniqueness? We really are trying to help - I am trying to help. That's why I must know...what happened?"_

_Raph was grinding his teeth as he watched the bird man in the seat across from him. He wanted to challenge Daichi to a fight, in fact he'd be happy just to launch himself into the, what he considered, arrogant Asian man. Both because he had something prove and because it was the only way to appeal to his frustration and fear. Shiki had called Daichi in because he too was skilled in Martial Arts, but his particular focus came in as a trained assassin by the flight they had been part of in Japan. It was a life that didn't suit him as he was much more content to help people, and it was part of the reason they'd abandoned Japan and the Corvidaethrope Flight. Now, however, he used those skills to help Joey or her sort of people when he could. Raph was sure he could take the overgrown black bird with pretty human features, so long as he didn't have that blow gun with poisoned darts. Where Daichi was an assassin, Raph was definitely capable of the same level of skill and he was sure he could outsmart the delicate, slightly effeminate man. After all, he could throw Daichi hard enough to snap him in half with one hand for how thin he was._

_What Raph had yet to accept, though he knew it was there, was that Daichi had skills and knowledge against these particular beasts that he and his brothers couldn't rival. That was the problem - he couldn't accept that maybe, just maybe, there were things he couldn't ward against as easily as they could. It was part of the reason Leo looked up to him, which also annoyed Raph. Every time Leo asked Daichi for an attack strategy, or a way to defeat these creatures, Raph had to walk away. He figured that his method of hitting first and asking questions later would serve him well as a vampire wasn't going to stop and give him the chance to practice his new moves. He didn't need Daichi's expertise. If he really needed to, he'd ask Joey. At least she was nonthreatening._

_"No you don't."_

_Daichi's head drew back and a slim smile crosses his lips. "Then something did happen." His eyebrow arched and Raph huffed, like a bull, as his fingers dug into the arms of the chair he was sitting in. It was, as he huffed, that Daichi's eyes cut to the flash of his neck when he breathed. His eyes lingered there for a moment, noticing but the smallest mark under Raph's chin. It would seem insignificant to most, perhaps a scar, but it explained nearly everything for Daichi. "Raphael-san...there is no denying it now." His narrow eyes cut up to the turtle's. "Tell me what happened - or this could cost you your family's lives. Your friends...what promises did he make you? What could have been that tempting? Do you have any idea what you've done?" His final question came out firmly enough that Raphael shot up from his chair threateningly._

_"What do you know?" He boomed, unsure of any other way to respond to the truths. Really, that level of heat coming off from Raph meant one thing - defense. Though it was often mistaken for plain aggression, it hid a much deeper seated emotion that rocked Raph to his very core. Furthermore, he was sure that Daichi knew the answer to his question, which amounted to a lot more than he did about the situation. Furthermore, he was terrified of what had been done. Again, Daichi had answers he didn't have and he was fairly certain these answers would lead to nothing but trouble based solely on Daichi's reaction. He didn't need to be told it was dumb, part of him knew...but he wouldn't have done it if not for a reason._

_"The night the cops got Casey, I figured out what I had to do make everything okay. That was what? A week ago - two maybe now. I don't even know anymore. Does it even matter anymore? Anyways, I'm sure Cassius squealed like a pig getting poked 'bout who did it - even if he knew it was Leo. 'Couldn't just send the turtle to the stand. Someone had to take the fall and why not Casey...?"_

* * *

><p>Mikey had begged Raph's forgiveness, everyday, for his impending doom - to which the turtle was actually oddly at peace with. He hadn't spent long enough with salvation to get used to it, therefore found himself content with the same fate he was already up against. After everything began to settle, the lair had gotten quiet and Raph - never one for sleep during normal hours - was often left to his own devices. In that, his thoughts ran wild and so did his emotional instability. Between Casey having been released for a day, for a crime committed on Raph's behalf and now his brother literally spilling his only hope and chance at survival, Raph was once more pensive. Joey's condition rested on his shoulders, though she was getting better, and for once, he didn't envy Leo for his role as their leader. He knew Mikey was a basket case for his fumble, one Leo would soon find out about and try to remedy; Raph was sure of it. Don and Ash had retired to books, at the moment, Leo was with Joey. Raph, in the meantime, was left to come up with his own remedy.<p>

He had fled the lair rather easily considering everyone's distraction - they had little reason to pay attention to him. He knew where to start and he knew who he was looking for. It turned out, when one knew what they were looking for, it was much easier to spot than he could have ever expected. He figured he'd start in the East Villages where an uprising of Japanese culture had taken root, one he figured was funded and supported by a wealthy man, if he could be called a _man_, that had more money than he did age - the way that Elisa had been the driving force behind the hottest clubs in mid-town. He found it easily - the only 'night club' active. He didn't bother knocking, or even asking permission. He pounced down from the rooftop fire escape with ease and grace.

The two bouncers had not been ones he wanted to take out, as leaving the door to such a place unattended would be criminal for the poor suckers who would pass through looking for some booze and a dance. Both had turned to him the second he landed between them, ready to attack; but so was he. They, however, seemed to expect him. It was slightly unnerving, but Raph didn't let that show. One of the slim Asian men gestured to the door and Raph flicked his chin in their direction. He should have known at that point that something was very wrong - in fact, Raph should have known long before this moment that this was something he shouldn't be doing. Then again, did he really have any other choice left?

It wasn't like the last club he'd been in. Though he was hyped with magical drugs issued by Payton, he could still remember the strobes and the mirrored hall, the disorienting darkness and the intense odor. There was still a hall here, but it was bright and lit, complete with clean white lines and a sterile feel. Once he passed through the final door, Raph was stunned. He expected a bloody floor and loud, ear splitting music. He expected the ceiling to be a disturbing sight of pinned humans and blood fountains lining the walls as if troughs for the animals. This, if possible, for its insanely bizarre atmosphere, was more disturbing in an entirely different way. The ground was made of tatame and folding screens littered the open floor as classic Japanese art hung from the walls on scrolls. There were a few low sitting tables and round paper lanterns hung around the place at varying heights, giving a soft ambient light. Somewhere in the background, there was the soft plucking of a Japanese harp. The sound was only offset by the soft, mumbled cries and whimpers of the living in this particular building.

On the tables, people were tied down, all dressed like women - even if they weren't women. They were all designed in classic kabuki make up and flamboyant kimonos to match; but their mouths were sutured shut with bright red yarn. They had to wiggle their lips to let screams through, muffled by the fact that the yarn was sewn so tight. It was hard to tell if the yarn was red, or the blood from the wounds stained the fabric - though it very well could be both. Some had their eyes also sewn shut to keep them from blinking, though tears still seeped through the cracks in their eyelids. There was a variety of them that were decorated with red yarn criss-cross patterns across the entirety of their body. Though they were through their skin, they weren't actually holding wounds together, but instead creating them from the openings were their blood saturated the yarn. The beasts were sucking on the wounds quietly, calmly - as if a hard candy they couldn't help but savor. Others were sliced in strategic places to give the illusion of blood tears falling down their cheeks or simply to mark their pale white skin (whether powered or naturally that way) in artistic decoration. The most horrific part to Raph was that these people were exactly that; art - bleeding, dying, stitched open or closed aesthetic victims for these monsters who were - quite literally - eating them alive, no matter how pretty they were dressed up. It would take sick mind connoisseur to see the beauty in these human cutting boards.

The live cherry blossom trees were stagnant and helped defuse any of moans or noises as they absorbed the sound. They somehow seemed to carry the plucking sound of the gentle Japanese music, as if floating in the sway of their leaves. "Ah, Raphael...I have been expecting you." The turtle spun and his sais were extracted in the blink of an eye. It seemed as if the songish voice was but another element of the eerily soft, serene room. He was ready to attack, though it had not been his plan going in - it certainly was his fail safe. The thin lips of the tall and proud, oddly broad shouldered, Japanese man pulled back in a narrow smile. A set of little pointy teeth peeked out at the corners of his mouth like two forgotten teeth, though still intimidating. At least Shredder never smiled.

"I ain't in the habit of being expected." Raph sneered boldly. A large part of him wanted to attack the leading vampire, the one he knew to be named Kenshin in his given name and Miyagi in his family one. His arrogance was unnerving and beyond that, Raph felt like he had to defend these people. They were victims and certainly didn't deserve their position - if anything, they deserved to have someone save them as clearly no one else was coming to their rescue. In fact, he would love to go out of the world fighting if it meant these people weren't paraded around so grotesquely anymore.

"Perhaps your habits should change in the company of those you are still learning." The vampire smiled again and held up a hand as if to scold Raph before he moved to even speak. "I have not threatened you and you have come to me - yet you wave your weapons as if ready for battle. Is that your intent? I didn't think so. Please, sit - we'll talk instead. Without the blades." His patient voice didn't help Raph's cool and he gripped tighter to his weapon's handles rather than set them aside. He didn't like how in control Kenshin was, particularly for how out of control he felt as a result.

"I'll stand." He snapped in his own challenge, unwilling to relent on his control.

"Very well." Kenshin replied smoothly. There were three lesser vampires standing behind him, clearly waiting to heed his every beck and call. Raph figured he could take them; they didn't nearly intimidate him like Kenshin's voice did, though the control he still had was enough to boost his confidence. He kept his sais firmly out. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"You said you were expecting me, you tell me." The turtle jeered and the vampire merely seemed further amused.

"Very well." He said again, almost in passive approval of Raph's challenge. He held up a hand to one of the nearby vampires. It was then that Raph realized they weren't vampires at all, but people - they clearly did not have fangs and their skin, even if powdered to be white, was not nearly as pasty in color as a creature lacking in warm blood. They were _humans_. Entirely disinterested in Raph, they fawned instead over Kenshin with doe, yet vacant, eyes - like a child gazing mindlessly at its most prized possession or in awe of their favorite role star. It was that, their empty expressions, that made Raph assume they were vampires. Kenshin gave a flick of his wrist and they all flinched then scattered, like roaches. "Then I'll wait until you are prepared to speak."

Raph felt his teeth grind. He had heard of the dolls in passing, mostly from Joey and then Don who spent time clarifying. He knew, vaguely, what it meant. He also knew what it felt like to be bitten - the sort of lure a vampire had was unlike any adrenaline rush he had felt before. That level of instaneoeous ecstasy was overwhelming and scary for its source. But these three mistresses, whether male or female, were different than the ones he'd seen under Elisa's care...like Ash. These ones seemed less violently treated, but in many ways more terrifyingly attached - as if Kenshin himself were a God. "You like them." Kenshin cooed, watching Raph as he eyed the three people.

"Wrong." Raph snapped with a bitter sort of laugh, figuring he had the upper hand for the fact that Kenshin was entirely inaccurate. Raph was disgusted by them. "I pity them." He added roughly, his eyes following along their path before they landed on Kenshin, as if disgusted by the mere sight.

"Oh no I think I'm very right. Though you may never admit it. You are intrigued by them. Even if you're horrified, their lifestyle...their rewards...interest you. However, you would never understand why I keep them - what importance they serve. Though I suspect you will understand why they stay. It takes but a single bite to understand the lure, and as I've heard...you've had your fair share of experience." Kenshin offered patiently, only boiling Raph's blood more.

A lull of silence echoed between them and Raph was sure he could hear his heartbeat through the blood pumping rapidly through his ears. "Cassius is going to come for Leo. Right? Because of what he did to his broad?" Raph asked and Kenshin merely bowed his head as soft affirmative hum echoed in the back of his throat. "Yeah, that's what I thought. I'm on my way out already - but I figure I got a few good kicks left in me. You said before that you could help with my...cursed problem. Well I figure since that's out the window now that my brother spilled the antidote, I figure I ain't got much left. 'Cept them. Seeing as you were so keen on making a deal on the roof, I thought maybe we could make one here. You keep Leo safe from Cassius and his people. You keep my brothers safe and I'll give you what you want - whatever that is. Just so long as Cassius doesn't touch 'em."

Kenshin's lips peeled back again, this time revealing all of his teeth in what would be a brilliant smirk for the vampire. "I marvel at life and all its so called beautiful flaws. His 'broad' as you call her, was more than that and more than any sort of humanly love you could ever understand. It's like he lost a part of himself when Elisa was destroyed. He never, however, would have offered himself in exchange - instead he will find a new vampire to latch onto. But the things you people do for those other living creatures who are all headed to the same fate...it's ironic. So self sacrificing - where really we and most animals are concerned only about survival."

"You gonna take my offer or not?" Raph barked, frustrated by the mocking tone in Kenshin's voice. "I ain't interested in your philosophy."

"Indeed I am, though I must admit you sell yourself short. I don't think you realize how much time you actually have left. But alas, that's not my problem. I want," he paused, "_you_. That is what I will accept in exchange. You, yield to me - and I swear, your brothers will not be harmed by Cassius or any of his." This was the war Joey spoke of, Raph knew it. Payton had mentioned it, Ash too. They all warned about the back and forth turf war and control that the two vampire clans volleyed for - though it didn't seem to be land they sought, instead power and control. But Raph expected that Kenshin could keep up his end of the bargain, that was part of their strength. He certainly stood a better chance than the four of them swinging blind in the darkness that was overwhelmingly thick. Kenshin was his insurance policy, regardless the price. Even if that meant burying himself deeper in battle. Luckily enough, Raph was made for war.

His life, Raph considered it's value, to that of his brothers. There was no question which he found more worth to. It didn't take him more than a second to respond, "Yeah, whatever. Just do it, make it happen. You hafta make sure Cassius's people don't hurt them. Yours either. You do that and I'll do it."

Kenshin nodded firmly, with a little glee in his nod. "On my honor." Raph mused...the honor of a blood sucking fiend - it didn't seem very solid. But it was enough for Raph. It was, after all, all Raph had at this point to guarantee cooperation. "Come here." He told Raph and the turtle begrudgingly moved nearer. That was when it happened. The vampire's fist came up under his chin and press hard into his neck. It took all of Raph's control not to lash out and attack, to remember he had made a deal. It took him a second to realize what had happened, though mostly because his focus was spent on trying not to retaliate. Where Elisa marked her property with a magical tattoo around their wrist, Kenshin branded his with the archaic symbol of a ring he wore. That marking was now on his neck, the very same that would be recognized by the blond, winged Asian man.

Raph bit back a swear and a hiss when he felt the metal cut into his thick skin. Kenshin held his fist there a moment longer, Raph was sure to prove a point. "And Casey, get him out of this mess. He didn't kill nobody and we both know it - he shouldn't be on trial for Elisa's murder. None of this is his fault." Raph swallowed hard, the lump pressing passed Kenshin's hand, buried against his neck.

"It's done." Kenshin promised.

* * *

><p><em>"And you thought no one would notice?" Daichi gaped and Raph was sure Daichi wanted to tack on something about how stupid he was - or maybe that was just his imagination wondering how stupid he was. "Last night...you did this last night?"<em>

_"Yes." Raph answered firmly. He paused for a moment before asking, trying to stifle his obvious curiosity, "Why?"_

_"We have to get you out of here. Now." Daichi instructed. "Shiki!" He called but before he could move, Raph caught his wrist and jerked him back. Daichi went stiff and their eyes met. Raph didn't have to ask a second time as the question was clearly repeated in the silence around them. "Kenshin held up his end of the bargain." Daichi explained with a measured strength and patience. "Casey will be set free. He marched into the courtroom today and claimed to be at fault for the death of Elisabeth. He said he was responsible and that he would be happy to stand trial, but he would only do so on his native soil. He asked to be extradited." Raph felt himself puff up proudly and Daichi saw it. "He's not running Raphael-san; he'll take you with him. You belong to him now. And if he is handed over to the Japanese homeland he will be set free and absolved. There he will face trial in a magical court, under the emperor of the magical community. And it's not illegal to kill a vampire, nor is it to be one. He will be set free and his false crimes here will be negated. You have no idea what you've done."_

_Raph's thin slits for nostrils flared. "I ain't runnin'."_

_"Your brothers might be safe. Casey free - but as I heard last...Kenshin has asked for Joey. If she dies, it will be on your head."_

_"What? Why would he-"_

_"Does it matter right now! I don't know why! What I know is that you've made a deal with devil. And the fact remains that she is now his target too. I daresay we don't want to know why. Stay, if you want to be foolish, but if you value anything, anyone, you will come with us."_


	21. No, Don't Go Away

**::Author's Note::**

As our former author's notes have indicated - we normally use Alkaline Trio lyrics for song titles. Well, this time we cheated. The lyric is from Dan's side project - so an extension of our beloved Alk 3. No, Don't Go Away is a piece of the song_ 'Hollow Sounds'_.

Beware, this chapter might have a mild romance rating. Within you will find some 'Loey' (as described from our friend Laugther's Tears - thank you for the smile that title still brings to us ^_^). Now, on with the chapter. Please enjoy and, if you have a moment - we'd love to hear any thoughts you might have.

Thank you so very much for reading.

V/R  
>- Stoic and Harley<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets<br>****Part II  
><strong>Chapter 4:  
><span>No, Don't Go Away<span>

"What do we do?" Ash's eyes were on Joey as he asked what everyone else seemed to be thinking. Payton was silently looking her way. Four brothers, two birds and a rat were quietly awaiting her answer as well. There was a heaviness to the air as Daichi had boldly told them what Raph was - that he was now property of the vampire Kenshin. Joey's eyes flicked to Raph and she gave a small, almost unperceivable shake of her head. Disappointment seemed to hang in the very sentiment. In an instant, Raph had stepped back some as he didn't know quite how to take her tone. It was a wonder he didn't cut off the circulation in his hand for how tightly he held his fists, ready to hit anyone or anything that crossed his path.

"I think we should take him to Dex." Daichi answered plainly. It was Don's eyes that flickered to the bird-man, curious about the name that might lead to a person that could help them. Anything to help, they were desperate. He wished he had an answer of some sort, but he was very much aware of how little he knew about this world and how to tackle it. "Dex will know what to do."

"Dex is busy. Always busy, he has so much already to handle." Payton shot back.

"He's never failed to help when the need arises." Shiki interjected, almost in defense. Don watched their exchange with worried eyes.

"Joey." Leo cut in, taking a step forward - he was clearly beyond their brainstorming, particularly as they seemed to snap at one another. He caught her by the shoulders and gave her a little shake. He trusted Joey above all the others. "What should we do?" She had, at some point, started chewing mindlessly on the tip of her thumb. It seemed as if the answer that was necessary, that was wanted and needed to come from Joey. Leo trusted her, they had survived so much that he had no qualms about admitting that he would go to her for advice in this matter. He trusted her unequivocally and he would follow through with her suggestions. Her eyes lifted to meet his and though he couldn't see her neck under the bandages that were still wrapped around her throat, he knew she had sighed internally.

"We let Kenshin take him." She finally answered, the room quiet as they waited. "If Kenshin means to take him to Japan, then we let him."

"What?" Half a dozen variations of the word rang out in the room, all of varying surprise and doubt. Raph had barked it, his aggression coming out in his voice and Mikey had squeaked some, clearly worried and guilty. Don was postively stunned and Splinter had hummed in a soft, questioning voice.

"You're an idiot." She told Raph as harshly as she could, though her voice wasn't at it's full volume or strength yet. Raph's jaw was set tight, though he stayed silent as she spoke. Her spirit was fully in tact and that made up for the fact that she couldn't shout. She turned though and moved into the living room and sat down on the couch; away from them. Leo held up a hand to Daichi and Ash both who moved to follow, to get more answers. Leo was the only one who had not openly questioned her; instead, his eyes had stayed glued, waiting for more from the woman. He bowed to them briefly as if silently asking to give him a moment to try first. He moved over to where she was and came to stand in front of her.

"Joey?" He questioned quietly, kneeling down in front of her. "Are you serious?" He asked simply.

"Yes." She responded sharply, almost irritated for the response she had been given. She had considered not explaining herself, but she seemed to buckle a little for Leo. Especially when he knelt before her - she could feel his trust. "Not because I think Raph should die - though he'd dumb enough to. But because we don't have much choice. If he runs he will always have to run, because not only will he be unsafe from Cassius, he will be marked by Kenshin. He's safer in Japan than he is here; at least from vampires. Your sensei is right about the Corvidaethrope though, particularly of Japan. He's a prize for Kenshin, a trophy. The vampire will keep him safe from their kind. It's about show now, Kenshin is a peacock and Raph is his ridiculously gaudy tail that he wants to fan and show off. Yes, I think Kenshin will want to take him to Japan and yes I think he should go - without a fight."

Leo was digesting her words, taking them as they came and trying to rationalize them. "Is there any way to break this deal?" He asked quietly, knowing they were being watched but not wanting the others to hear for fear that they would interject. Leo wanted facts and a way to accept or challenge her plan. The more he knew, the more he could analyze and see the strategy in. Or simply call her out for a rash and bad idea. She didn't have to answer, he knew from the look on her face, but she shook her head 'no' softly. To which Leo nodded. "I understand then. If there is no way to stop this from happening...we must let it and keep Raph safe until we can save him for real. You know, Daichi mentioned that Kenshin is looking for you now. Could that be true?"

Joey's tongue flicked out of her mouth and stroked her bottom lip briefly. He was sure it was a nervous reaction, though one she wouldn't admit to. "Could be." She confirmed passively.

"Why? Why would he want you now - he has Raph." Leo challenged.

"Leo..." she shook her head and sighed. "I don't know if you've noticed but I piss off just about everyone. I can think of a hundred reasons, none pleasant, of why he'd want me."

"You know what I mean." He reeled her back in as she deflected and he caught it, calling her out just as quickly as she would him. He was not above honesty with the fae. "Do you know why he would want you?"

There was a long pause and she looked at him directly as the stillness of the air around them absorbed her hesitation and his anticipation. "Yes." She spoke slowly, carefully. "There are two reasons. I'm a target for Cassius now. You and I, he sees us both as responsible for his partner's death. But he's always been after me and now you're safe because of Raph's bargain - so I'm the likely target. And if Kenshin can claim me, then he gets to dangle me in front of Cassius's face like a toy. And the other...it's speculation, but just as likely." She was interrupted though as Raph took a step forward, clearly spent on waiting.

"What are you two babbling about? I'll go. Whatever." He snapped, though his eyes were still settled on Joey as if he was trying to figure out if that was the right answer. As if he was trying not to be scolded more for his mistake. A mistake that, to Raph, he could rationalize and that made it worse. Everyone saw it as a dumb idea, he saw it as the only available option.

"Yeah, you will. You don't have a choice." She told him, her tone and expression were stoic. "I'm going with you." Leo's eyes cut to her and his mouth opened slightly but no words came out. She hadn't turned to look at him but her hand came up and her fingers lightly pressed his jaw up to close his mouth. "That's an expression reserved for Mikey. I know you're brothers and all but..." She smiled and her eyes finally flicked over to Leo briefly. "If he means to take Raph, he can't stop us from going too."

"Us?" Don took a small step forward, his voice peaked in a note of curiosity and panic.

"I didn't stutter did I?" She asked Leo who was still staring at her, unblinking. She let her head round toward Don. "Yeah, us. All of us."

"Joey-" Shiki took a step forward and Daichi's hand came to rest on his lover's shoulder, which halted his challenging words.

"Not you princess. Us. You stay, with him - I couldn't dream of separating you two." She cocked of a lazy smirk as she nodded toward Daichi. "Payton and Ash too, with Splinter-san." She offered a little bow toward the rat. "We'll need eyes and ears here but Cassius will be furious and lash out by whatever means he can. If Kenshin isn't here to protect you like his deal with Raph says, Cassius might find a back handed way to go after you three. A way to defy the treaty - vampires are territorial, but not above cheating the system if it serves them. You'll be safer in Japan - all of you. And me. Me too. I'm not ready to die."

"No." Daichi argued. "There are dangers there too."

"Not immediate though. The Flight won't be looking for us. As long as _you_, specifically," she poked Raph in the plastron as she climbed to her feet, "mind your manners and don't draw attention to us, they might not even know we're there. Besides, there is none that the Corvidaethrope hate more than the fae. They might scoff at me, but we'll stay out of each other's way. I'm aware of them. I'm sure Akira-san remembers me."

"It's not Akira you should worry yourself with. You know this. Akira is a puppet." Daichi bowed his head. "Tokyo, he is the threat."

"I know Daichi. I know my evil dictators...Stalin, Hitler, Castro, Tokyo-san." She mindlessly ticked off her fingers, but straightened in her spot and let her expression turn serious. "Don't worry. If we stay out of their way, and we will, they will stay out of ours. You're very far removed from you Japanese heritage." She commented snidely with a half taunting tone. "Your kind, in their natural habitat, are xenophobic in their arrogance and dominating, self-ego-stroking, better-than-thou mindset. They won't care unless we give them reason to. Capice?"

"Are we really going to Japan?" Mikey asked, his head turning to his sensei, almost asking permission. It was the most animated he'd been in days. Mikey was still plagued with the memory of dropping Raph's only hope for survival. Furthermore, he partly blamed himself for Raph's deciding to go to Kenshin for help, he might not have done it had Raph hope for living longer.

The old rat was square in his posture and all attention went to him in that moment. Splinter's eyes were settled on Michelangelo. He seemed pensive, thoughtful and as if he were truly considering it. "Yes." He said finally, with a little bow of his head as his hand rested gently on the top of his walking stick. "I agree with Joey. Though I would urge caution, I trust that you four will act responsibly. There is no choice in the matter, you must go...but be as safe as you can. I trust that you will leave as four and return as four as well."

That was all that needed to be said for silence to fill the air and anticipation, both excited and terrified, as the fate of their future descended upon them all.

* * *

><p>"You really think this is a good idea?" Joey tried not to jump when Leo's voice cut through the night air around her. She figured she was safe on some random roof to be alone with her thoughts for a little while before they would be off to the foreign nation of Japan. She had a lot going on in her mind and she wasn't really sure she could sort through it when surrounded by all the noise of his home. She failed and knew he caught sight of her when she went momentarily stiff and her eyes shot open. She scowled at him momentarily before settling back and looking at the sky overhead.<p>

"Some greeting. Do you ever relax?" She asked, recovering from her surprise having been interrupted.

"Not when my family's involved. Or those I care about." He took a few steps closer and knelt down next to her, the pads of his knee guards scraping the rough surface of the roof.

"That's sad and sounds pathetic." She sat up, perching herself on her elbows. "If you don't stop and enjoy things for you sometimes too, you miss a whole fuck-ton of awesome." She reached over and took his hand tugging on his arm. "Lay with me." She let her voice soften some, though it still sounded gravely on the recovering vocal chords and padded gauze around her neck. "Don't give me a speech about how dangerous it is to let our guard down. I'm asking you to lay beside me for a minute. If we die, in those few seconds it takes for you to take a load off then it was worth it - because you died without stress on your mind and impending doom in your heart. Come on." She openly taunted but at the same time meant what she said.

He did exactly what she asked him not to do. "It's vulnerable...weak...to let our guards down, Joey. What if someone were to stumble upon us, laying on the roof with no mind to their presence? Where would we be? Most definitely dead - you say that now, but if it actually happened, you wouldn't be so passive." Leo shot back, his eyes surveying the rooftop.

Her eyebrows crinkled up and she groaned. "Can you not do that? Yeah, that right there. The part where you ruin this." Leo hesitated, his eyes drawn to Joey as she lay back down. He sighed for a moment, considering her words and the tone to them - almost irritated and sad - for how he was fighting her on it. "Besides...what are you so afraid of, Leo? The world is always going to be a big scary place. You can't constantly be alert...it'll kill you faster if you're focused too hard. You might have a stroke."

Leo was quiet for a few moments before he gave in, shifting on his knees so that he was able to lay back against the flatter part of his shell, looking skyward. Her hand was still in his, as she had taken his to tug him down to lay. He only noticed it once he was listening to the wind whipping across the rooftops and the sound of the city below. It felt nice, warm and comfortable, as her smaller fingers lay against his large ones.

"I see an elephant...what do you see?"

"What?" he asked, his head tipping in her direction; confusion etched on his face and heavy in his tone.

"Not at me you ninny, up there. I know I don't look like an elephant." She smirked and he saw that her hand was pointed directly up. He followed her finger's imaginary line to a dark cloud overhead. He felt one corner of his mouth turn up. She was an enigma to him, he figured it was the fae part that he would never understand but she had a certain whimsical nature he couldn't quite get. More than anything, he was intrigued by that special nature she had. She was something he could never be and that was more exciting to Leo - he wanted to understand more and was an eager student for the unknowing teacher.

"It looks nothing like an elephant Joey, that's clearly a giraffe." He let his eyes drift back over to her, a smile had enveloped his face and it amused him even more when she looked his way, a bit of surprised horror lined on her face.

"You're teasing me." She noticed in stark honesty, her dark eyes were round and glassy under the moonlight. He chuckled slightly and shook his head.

"No, I'm serious. That's not a trunk - that's a neck." He said, pointing where she had and she wrinkled her nose in protest before giving him a hearty shove to the shoulder in retaliation though it didn't move him from where they lay. It did draw a laugh out of her; an honest and playful laugh that indicated that she seemed to accept his explanation in her own way. There was something magical about that too - how she could so easily accept what he saw too, and how there was such vast variety in a puffy cloud of precipitation. She managed to get a chuckle out of him too as he ducked down a little to hide from her 'attack'.

When the bubbling laughter subsided and it was just the native sounds around them once more, she took in a deep breath. "I'm not much for caution Leo. I never have been. In fact, I'm down right unpredictable and a severe pain in the ass. I know it. I know I act on instinct and sometimes sporadically. We're likely going to be going back to the country that I fell in love with a doll. I think you know, if not you're pretty dumb, but I know you're not dumb. You've replaced him wholly...I wonder if there is the possibility that he was just a stand-in until you sauntered by." She paused and Leo wasn't sure if he was breathing as he digested her words. He had never felt like he did in that moment. He had thought it might be the case, hoped even, but he wouldn't let himself entertain the idea. Affection and relationships distracted from their goals, from his goals - furthermore, they were impossible for them to really maintain and keep. However, he would be a fool if he didn't acknowledge that she had managed getting to him as well - that he had the same sort of fondness for her that burned viciously in his chest. He had just been trying, with all his might, to ignore it.

Right then, however, he would find it difficult to smother the flame that was igniting in his body from her confessions.

"I have no expectations and I'm asking for nothing from you by the way of returning it. But can you please take my affection? It's such a burden for me." She leaned her lips very close to the side of his head, where his head took in sound and processed it. "I'm retarded for you. Leo, I'm in love with you." She told him softly. "I'm not much for yielding, to anything or anyone. But sometimes I have to stop and let myself be selfish enough to see it or I'd miss a fuck-ton too. A mega fuck-ton, in fact." She leaned up a little bit so she could capture his lips and he did not fight her. Instead, he welcomed the feel of her warm lips on his cool skin, hoping she would close that distance because he didn't have the courage to do so. There was not a person on the planet that could steal his courage and bravery the way that Joey could, but she reduced him to nothing more than the raw and vulnerable parts he worried about mere moments before.

Leo had never been loved by anyone that wasn't obligated to do so in his opinion, but Joey - just then - made him feel warm and important. Loved for who he was, not for what he had to do. He wanted nothing more than to show her that she had given him that and that he hoped to offer her the same back. He might not be Yuki and have the capacity to walk the streets with her. Her whimsy made it so she saw the world differently, and he was far from 'normal'. The few short weeks they'd known each other, teasing each other and protecting one another as well, had challenged them and opened a slew of opportunities for perspective. She knew him, she had seen him in his worst moments and yet she still chose to love him. Or perhaps she didn't chose and that made it all that much more magical.

When their mouths parted, with the tingle of her skin on his still lingering there, he reached up to stroke her shoulder lightly. "I've already taken it. It's not a burden for me Joey, let me take your burden. When your world is too heavy, my back is strong enough to carry it. I promise, if nothing else, to defend it. With my life because, as I'm sure you probably know too - as you're not dumb either - you're one of the few people I care about who keeps me from relaxing."

"Aww, you care about me." She taunted, breaking the cozy moment but didn't dare budge to give any more space between them. Instead, she sank in against his plastron, looping her arms around him though they hardly reached the whole way. "Yes Leo, I think this is a _very_ good idea."


	22. These Creatures are Waking Up

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>**Part II  
><strong>Chapter 5:  
><span>These Creatures are Waking Up in These Dark Trees<span>

"Are you scared?"

Raph's eyes flickered up towards the man that spoke, his pale face and thin eyes narrowed in on Raph and Raph alone. His fists tightened, though he had been explicitly told not to be brash. It was a rarity for Raph to follow instruction of that nature, but he figured he was the puzzle piece in all of this and if he made one wrong move, they all perished. Furthermore, as much as he was signed up for death, he was not in search of it. He had done it to help protect his brothers, but he wasn't opposed to prolonging his own death if it was still possible.

He had sought out Kenshin as he knew he didn't have much else of a choice. Leo had asked Raph, softly as not to call his ego out in front of others, to do nothing that would upset the monster. Joey had her own directions as well - though she didn't think Kenshin would want to drink from him (he was too much of a prize and, at this point, cursed), if Kenshin did indulge, Raph was not to accept any back. In fact, Raph was focus so much on trying not to break those two rules, he managed not to lash out at the vampire when he smiled so sickly at him. He had been half offended by both Leo and Joey, but he also took their words and logged them away as tenants to live by during this dangerous trip alone.

"I ain't scared of you, pal. You're nothing but a criminal and I know how to handle your kind." Raph snapped back, shaking his head as he puffed out a little. His plastron grew some as he squared his shoulders. Kenshin, however, merely laughed at him - it echoed around the room.

"Well you certainly should be. We'll remedy that soon enough." Kenshin cooed before he stepped forward. In an instant, Raph felt cold metal against his wrists as he was being shackled both at his arms and feet. He didn't even see where the other vampires had come from, they were just suddenly there. He did his best to hide a breath of surprise when Kenshin's finger tip trailed across the surface of his cheek.

"There is no need to hide it, Raphael. I can hear your heartbeat and I know when you are surprised or scared or overjoyed. Your very life essence gives you away." With a flick of his finger, he dug his nail against Raph's face and managed to get a small cut to appear. He smirked as he took a droplet on his finger and popped it in his mouth. It was sick, the entire creature was disgusting to Raph and part of him felt that fear creep up. Not because he was afraid of Kenshin, thought perhaps he should be, but because he was afraid of whatever it was he had agreed to. What he forced his brothers further into. If only he hadn't seen that body...

"Red…my favorite." Kenshin cooed, to which Raph grunted in irritation. The vampire lingered for a moment against the fabric of his mask before he sliced through it and it felt away from Raph's face. He smirked again. "I want to see nothing but your face when you realize how hopeless your life is."

Raph hoped that day of weakness would never come.

* * *

><p>This was a trip none of them thought they'd be taking, all for various reasons. The three turtle brothers had had to let Raph go, at least enough to travel with the vampire who had claimed him as a throphy.<p>

Leo, Donnie and Mikey would be stowed away on a boat that Joey had actually bought a ticket for. "Check it out, four for the price of one." She had told them when she held up her ticket, to which Don had taken her itinerary to plan the details of their voyage. Leo was preoccupied with getting on board and being undetected, while Mikey was wordless. It was unnerving, his introspective behavior as of late. When he was addressed directly, he would perk and smile, offer something funny or witty - but never out of the blue in true Mike fashion.

"Hey, we'll figure it out Mikey." Don told him. "I'm working on it." Mikey, however, nodded and offered the best smile he could. It was clear that as much as he trusted Don's ability to actually solve this - Don could solve _anything _- Mikey's spirit was so far crushed that he couldn't look beyond his failure. It was rare for Mikey to be so downtrodden, but he was scared of what would come of Raph - both with Kenshin and the curse - and how he had caused both. Mikey loved his brothers, they were his best friends...he needed them as much as he was pretty sure they needed him. His faith in Don as a whole, however, wasn't enough to make him certain of Raph's survival.

Meanwhile, Joey was sitting with Ash, putting together the final plans for communication if necessary. It was only when Ash slipped away that Leo took the opportunity to sit next to her. "I'm worried about Don getting Mike's hopes up like that." Joey glanced over at the other two as Don had looped his arm around Mikey's shoulder and was yammering on about how he should be the one doing the yammering, and where was his excitement, they were going to Japan after all! She could tell by the sound of Leo's voice that he was silently asking her, in his own way, if he could also have hope in Don's words, but he suddenly added something she had not expected.

"This is what you get Joey - someone who has to sneak on the boat. Someone who can't walk on with you. Can you handle that? Is it enough?" Clearly something was weighing on Leo's mind since there was a matter of confession that had happened between them.

She looked his way. An expression was etched on her face that he couldn't read. He couldn't tell if she was offended, mad, hurt or simply confused. "Wow." She said in a deadpan. "You just realized that? Some thinking Leo. Good job. Yeah, I know what you are." She sighed and set aside the papers that were in her lap, splayed out across her folded legs. "I'm not normal either. The life you're assuming I want, who said I want it. Me? Because I'm pretty sure I don't. But what do I know? The one your implying, as it's the other side of what you mentioned, the walking next to me on the ship, yeah that one - where I try and be normal - did it ever occur to you that it's what kills me? I might have wanted to quit what I do and 'settle down' some time in my past, but never could I, or that new direction, have changed who I am. I would have gotten bored with that real fast and then it would have started to eat at my soul until it died. I know that now. When I said he was holding this spot until you came along, I meant that." She told him in a stern honesty. "It's because of what you are that I'm comfortable - as lame as it sounds - giving myself to you.

"I don't care what shell houses the spirit I'm attracted to, no pun intended. Haven't you learned yet? I don't see this outside stuff...and certainly not like you do. It's unconsciousness and souls that are attracted to one another. If it's anything else, like hair color or body shape...you're doing it wrong." She said the last part with force and conviction. "Flesh can change and it certainly warps as we get older, or what if I melted in fire? I'd still be the same me - I'd just look different. Looking different and _being _different are two totally different things. So stop being retarded, worrying so much, and bask in the glory of knowing that you're cared for, cool?" She smiled at him, leaned over and kissed his cheek before settling back into the couch.

Leo was warmed by her words, puffed up and hopeful for them even if lingering worry would follow him no matter what she said. He had never been that exposed to anyone emotionally; not to the point where he could be hurt as badly as he could be captured by the pleasure in it. It was all a terrifying prospect, one he was willing to indulge in, and had swept him up before he chose to. He loved Joey, just like she had told him she loved him, and he knew he would do dumb things to ensure her safety. She was both a burden for it and he was enthralled by the good feeling it gave him in the same moment. "You never did get to finish telling me what the second reason was - that Kenshin would want you." He asked.

"Oh...that's right. Well, Don thought of something, and I think that Kenshin thought it too. Payton took at dose of my blood to work on it while we're gallivanting across the world." She held up her arm and pointed to a band aid, riddled with Hello Kitty, at the bend of her elbow. "Mikey really picked these out? That's what Don said." She smirked before clearing her throat. "Right. Don doesn't want to get Mikey's hopes too high up just yet, that's why he didn't explain, but he and Ash both think that Raph's condition can be cured. Kenshin likely believes this too. The cup of Elisa's blood you collected - Leo it was my blood." She lowered her voice and whispered hopefully, a rare shine of glee glazed her eyes. "She had just tried to suck the life out of me. If Kenshin can cure Raph, he can keep him longer. Daichi said that Raph was told by Kenshin that he was likely to live longer than Raph expected - that's because Kenshin, I think, has plans and an idea of how to cure him. The curse could take months, if not years, to eat him wholly anyway. It could also take days. We just don't know. But Don's thoughts are, we could cure him entirely - if her blood is substituted with mine, since she'd just gored on me. It's the same."

"Is that possible? Do you really think so?" Leo sat up straight in his spot. He trusted Don with everything scientific. Leo understood some of it, but never would he count on his own ideas when it came to be compared to the logic of Don's highly tuned brain. If Joey agreed with him, Leo would whole heartily give his trust to them, together he figured they would never steer him wrong. Of course they were working on theories too, this one - however - would let him down if it failed, particularly if Don and Joey both though it possible; probable even.

Joey shook her head a little. "I don't know. I don't see why not. The theory is sound. Magic might be sporadic and wild, but it's predictable too sometimes." Leo nodded. He wondered, momentarily, if this was what relationships were like: talk of affection right into life or death situations. He considered for a moment if he was actually in a relationship and then he decided that he wouldn't ever have a 'normal' relationship no matter what happened. It was then that Joey laughed and it snapped him out of his thoughts. He hadn't even realized he went so quiet. When his eyes fell on her, she was grinning at him.

"You're funny Leo." One of his eyebrow ridges lifted momentarily and she shook her head. "No - if you haven't noticed, nothing in your life will ever be normal. Not ever. Let me be the first to tell you, if no one else has. Your shadow, it gives you away. You're so easy to read." She shook her head and chuckled. "You wear it right out on your sleeve all the time when you trust someone. Good to know you trust me. That's not a bad thing. But damn, it must be hard to be that conflicted all the time. What a burden." She still had the residual effect of a smile on her face, her cheeks were rosy.

Leo couldn't figure out if he should be embarrassed or comforted by the fact that she could see what he was feeling and thinking via his shadow. It was a measure of vulnerability he wasn't used to, but at the same time - he was willing to let her have that part of him too. "Let me take some of that. Some of your worry and confusion." She offered softly. "That's what a relationship is about. Sharing in the good and the bad. We'll never be normal Leo, not ever. But that's great - because it means we don't have to live by any preconceived notions or standards. We get to forge our own way and make it up as we go." She patted his leg. "My favorite way! Now hand me that map and those papers on the other side of you." She sort of sighed. "We're going to Japan. Too bad it won't be for fun."

* * *

><p>The trip itself had been uneventful. For it, Leo was grateful - it gave them a chance to rest and prepare for the proverbial - and perhaps literal - battle they were walking into. Though his mind was on Raph the entire time. He wondered where he was and what he was doing, if he'd shot his mouth off to Kenshin yet or if he'd been bitten. This worry was what Joey meant, and she was the only one that knew the depths of it. He did a wonderful job of keeping it inside. His brothers knew it was there, but none of them knew just how much. But Joey did and it was yet one more of his many walls that she'd managed penetrating. Sometimes it was comforting and others unnerving. One thing he'd considered to be a boon was how, if they were in a negotiation situation, she would be able to tell what his intentions were no matter what he said.<p>

The moment they were in the landscaped, valleys and peaks of the Japanese backdrop, Leo felt, despite the situation, the strange yet comforting sensation of unequivocal peace pass over him. He loved Japan for its serene beauty and it was hard to mistake now. It was like visiting an old friend whom he knew all the secrets of and there was no mystery as to their intentions. They couldn't travel by the main cities, which made their trip all that much longer; but they had a destination and it was in the rural areas that Leo found solace.

"So, you know, don't think I'm bad for destroying Raph's only chance at living. I'm not...ya know, gonna let you guys down again." Mikey's voice was soft as he spoke to Joey, almost begging her for forgiveness. "I don't really mess up as much as Raph says. Not normally at least." Mikey's head fell forward as they trudged along the base of the forest, but were moving up the side of a mountain along a winding path. He needed Joey to trust him and she had every reason not to right now.

"Mikey?" Joey turned to look at him, as it was just the two of them together. "Is that really what you think I see? What any of them see?" She nodded her head over to the other two brothers. "Don thinks you hung the freaking moon and you give Leo life that he couldn't have on his own. Raph's jealous of your outlook on world. He'd be pissed to find you acting like him." She shouldered the turtle and he stumbled a little, big and showy, off the path as if she'd hit him much harder than she had. It even made him chuckle a little. They were all words he needed to hear, from everyone. Mikey needed a seal of approval from everyone he knew to simply keep himself going. He was so social and so optimistic that he his energy was fed by others. He liked infecting them with his joy but it was difficult for him lately with the worry and fear plaguing him.

He had taken a light jog to catch up and hop back on the path, but as he did so, his foot caught something and he went sprawling out with a sharp yelp. Mikey's shriek turned Leo and Don's attention behind them, both of which were also talking a few dozen feet further up the path. It was not an accident, and Mikey realized as quickly as the others had that something had actually caused his fall where he hadn't been paying attention to the ground below him. Mikey was often guilty of letting his guard down when he was comfortable or absorbed in his own thoughts. Joey had made to move closer to Mikey, to help him up, but a shirtless man with massive black wings that kicked up the air around them dropped down between them. His wings beat lightly and gracefully let him land on the foliage between Joey and Mikey. At that point, she took a step back and Mikey spotted the man - a second one with wings - who had intentionally tripped him as he emerged from the dense forest on foot.

"Great." Joey grumbled just as Leo held up a hand to Don, as if indicating not to draw his weapon...not yet at least.

"You're trespassing." The man between the turtles and Joey snapped at Mikey in rapid Japanese, ignoring that Joey was there entirely. "Are you...visiugo?" His eyebrows came together as he looked over the three turtles. He was tall, unnaturally so for his race, and he seemed to have some sort of bamboo blow gun strapped to his side, through a special made loop. He, like Leo had seen on Daichi, had a line of black feathered darts, on his belt. Instantly Leo assumed he was a warrior, the way Daichi was. It was slightly concerning as Leo knew that Daichi, if anyone, could give - even him - a fair fight. He didn't move to answer, however, as they were a fair distance up the path from where the tall man was towering over Mikey sprawled out on the ground.

Though Mikey knew Japanese - or had in his youth - his knowledge was scattered at this point and certainly not advanced; it never had been. Leo was the one who practiced and remained mostly fluent, Don not far behind. Mikey and Raph however, committed their memories to other things and as they didn't focus on it let much of their previous knowledge escape them. With exposure, they would warm up to it again, but it was too soon for Mikey to fully process what had been said. Particularly in his surprise, the fast Japanese was mostly lost on him.

"Atsushi-san, they look like Kenshin's puppet. Perhaps...Akira-san would benefit from seeing them. We should take them to the Flight." The other man, shorter and still drawing himself out of the forest, hissed in a low voice. He seemed amused that the had caused the terrapin to fall. "If our leader wants leverage, we shall bring him leverage."

"Leverage?" Joey snapped. "What are you talking about?" She shook her head quickly when her eyes met Leo's, who was deeply focused in their words. It was as if he and Joey where having a silent conversation in which she was warning him to keep from initiating a fight - just yet. The taller man, Atsushi he'd been called, had his eyes set on Mikey, though he was clearly listening to Joey speak from behind him. The other man, however, seemed nonplussed with the fact that Joey had spoken. In an instant, his wings took him to flight and he sprang for her.

Don took a step forward and Leo went for the katana on his back. However, before either of them could get to her or the black winged Japanese man - as the turtle brothers were further up on the path - Joey seemed to have disappeared. Her body had slipped into the shadow at her feet, like a slide she could jump down into if necessary. She, a second later, darted out of the shadow cast by Mikey, linking the two together in their own spacial miracle and expert use of the magic her body naturally housed. She didn't need physics to coordinate the shadows, just simply the power to fold and bend them to her will. As much as she could see inside of them, she could manipulate them too - just as she did then to escape the attack. The aggressive Corvidaethrope, expecting to have a body to collide with, couldn't stop his momentum and smacked into the ground hard.

"This is a fight you don't want to have right now, Atsushi-san." She told the taller man whilst the other lay sprawling. His name she assumed from the way the other addressed him. She was kneeling next to Mikey. "We mean only to make passage to the palace. This wasn't your land last time I checked unless Akira, in his father's stead, is claiming land that doesn't belong to him. If you mean to take them to your leaders, you'll have a fight." At her words, Atsushi stood taller, his face even more set in an expression of stoicism. He held his hand up when his companion had gotten up and made to attack Joey again. Leo still had his katana in hand and had slipped in beside her, prepared to attack further should Atsu consider a round as well. He was stunned by what she had done, he had questions that he was pretty sure wouldn't warrant any real logical answers. Though she had taken care of herself in that moment he was still a protector and would never assume, like with his trained ninja bothers, that she could always handle herself. He was particularly protective of those he cared most deeply for, Joey was certainly on that list.

"You are a curious little fae." Atsushi spoke sternly.

A crack sounded and a massive tree branch fell between where Mikey was with Joey and the black winged man were. It was unnatural and sudden - with it came a sharp, feminine voice. "Go! You are not welcome here!" It was with that in which a hand came softly on Don's forearm and he jumped, not having detected anyone. Yet when he glanced over, ready to attack, he saw a petite Japanese woman standing a few inches shorter than he. She was clearly the one who spoken and somehow made the tree crash.

"Woman, if you damage nature again - it will be the death of you." Atsushi warned.

"If you don't stop trying to take the emperor's land and claim it for your own, it will be the death of _you_." She barked. "You're not the only one who patrols the edges Atsushi. Take a message to Akira and his lap dogs - we won't abide by his terrorism." She held up a hand and hissed a few words in a language that was neither English or Japanese and another crack, followed by a fallen tree branch rang out. "GO!" She barked. With that, Atsushi nodded to his companion and with a reluctant and stiff bow he took a few steps back. They disappeared into the thick of the forest, knowing he was outnumbered just then and a strategic retreat was in order.

"Joey-shi, a warning as to your arrival would have been nice." The woman said sharply, though not inhospitable, as she bowed to Don, whom she'd touched and then to Leo. She was curious of them both, her eyes lingering on them as she clearly wished to know more. She moved over to Mikey and knelt next to him and asked in concerned Japanese. "Are you hurt kama-sama?"

"Sorry Koko-chan, we didn't mean to cause a scene. We were just headed your way though. Is Kenshin back already? They seemed to say so. These are friends, Koko-chan. Michelangelo-sama, Donatello-kun and Leonardo." Koko nodded to each in kind, bowing some as she knelt still. Her eyes lingered on Leo for a moment and then glanced back to Joey, clearly having noted that she used no honorific for him. That, in Koko's mind, was either very good or very bad. Joey, however, went on in English - addressing the brothers - before Koko had a chance to speak. "This is Shintato Hiroko. She's an advisor for the emperor of the mage community here. Well now they know we're here. And I thought this would be easy. So much for staying out of their way." She said to Leo who seemed pensive in what had just transpired. Carefully he sheathed his weapons. "She asked if you're hurt." Joey added in passing to Mikey.

"Hai...he _is _back and with a turtle. Like these three." She went to look at Mikey's ankle and Joey saw the turtle's wide eyes, which hadn't left Koko, refrain from blinking as he gave a little moan that Joey knew was fake. "Yeah, it hurts right here." He said and Joey snorted, but bit back a laugh. "Can you tell her Joey...it hurts right there."

"Here?" Koko asked in English, albeit soft and heavily accented, as she touched Mikey's ankle to which the turtle's face showed his surprise, his eyes widening even further, and no words came after that. Leo heard Don snicker too, under his breath, and add softly (though Leo was sure he was the only one who heard), "Real smooth Mikey."


	23. We've Got Guts to Spill

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>**Part II  
><strong>Chapter 6:  
><span>We've Got Guts to Spill<span>

"You might as well have touched your lips and said it hurt there, you ninny." Joey told Mikey softly as they weaved their way up the side of the mountain and to the emperor's palace. They were walking on foot still, treading along the dirt path. There was nothing but dense forest around them, thick with color and sounds that softly faded into the air. "Fortunately for you, she's forgiving and will pass you on a sympathy card for retardation." Joey snickered and Mikey shot her a sideways grimace, almost pained.

"Was it that bad?" He asked after a moment of silence passed between them, unable to keep his concern at bay. He was clearly distressed in so many ways, replaying the moment in his head and was slightly horrified. His memory was skewed now by Joey's recount - suddenly his shameless flirting felt invasive and over-the-top, even if had been a measly sentence. His overactive imagination and her teasing were not a match.

She nodded, though her chin was pressed to her chest as she tried to hide the smile on her lips. "Oh yeah, it was that bad." She barked a laugh, unable to help herself. "Don't worry Mikey, I have hope you will find someone tolerant of that Mikey charm; yeah that one, right there, where your mouth is hanging open looking at me like I'm suddenly a blue alien." Mikey didn't even realize his lips parted in surprise.

"Fur'real?" He asked with wide eyes, almost begging her to agree. Mikey, out of all of them, was most drawn to the possibility of love. He fell in love every week when he watched a TV show and met a new, pretty character strong in conviction and big on laughs. He fell in love when he walked the roof tops and would imagine the life he could have with that girl or this one. So to actually hear that Joey thought it was possible, even just a little, was stunning to him. It gave him hope, perhaps false in so many ways,

"To which part?" She asked. "Because you look pretty ridiculous staring at me right now so I must look equally as ridiculous staring back."

"No no! About finding someone. Really?" Mikey waved a hand. "Like in the movies? I'm going to find someone to sweep off their feet and whisper sweet nothings to? Do you think I could pick up Koko? She's little." Mikey asked very seriously, as if he were truly considering how easy it might be to scoop up the mage.

"Yeah she's little, but I wouldn't go around trying to pick her up. She might just kick you. Oh yeah, Mike. For sure. Charming guy like you." Joey told him jovially, patting him on the shoulder. She hadn't realized it, but in many ways, she was lifting his spirits right then. However, she equally fed off his energy. She needed dreamers to live and Mikey's had been so sick lately with his worry and stress that he forgot how to be cheerful. It was, however, the possibility of affection being realized that Mike felt a particular bounce in his step. He even managed a peek up towards Koko, ahead of them on the path, and found himself smiling at her from behind.

"Joey!" His fingers dug into the sleeve of her shirt and jerked her back. "Seriously chick'a. Tell me what to say to her?" He dipped down to whisper a little, despite them somewhere far ahead. "What do I say? You know, to sweep her off her feet? I mean yeah I'm charming and all, but what's a girl like Koko wanna hear?"

The fae woman rounded on Mikey when he caught her so pointedly. She was somewhat gaping at him. It hadn't occurred to her that Mikey was serious. Koko was probably some idealized version of perfection that Mikey assumed he should go after, or so Joey thought. "Did you see the way she just snapped her fingers and the tree came down all magic like...like the movies! She can do magic, its cool! And she's feisty too, but soft...she wanted to care for me. I bet her hair feels as soft as wings too. She's awesome, Joey." He cooed in awe as Joey was reeling at the idea in which Mikey might actually harbor misbegotten affection for the magical chancellor. "How do I show her I'm awesome too?" She certainly didn't want to discourage him, but she definitely wanted to dissuade him as she knew his misplaced puppy-dog adoration was hardly something she, or his brothers (or even Koko), needed to deal with right then.

"Yeah, I saw. Did it occur to you to just be you? Not something that she wants to see, but something that you could actually be? That could easily be enough, you know. You're just charmed by everything, aren't you? Wings, magic, girls..."

"Yeahhh, maybe I could..." he cooed again before perking, a little disenchanted for a moment. "No. Wait - not vampires. I still have nightmares about that place. I don't like those vampire guys or girls. I'll try it out though, Joey. Maybe she would dig a smile - " He grinned brightly to demonstrate, "or hey, whatta 'bout this?" He whipped out a nunchuck only to do some complicated and showy move. "Or maybe just my natural hilariousness will win her. I wish I had my board...chicks dig skateboards. Oh! Woah! What's the emperor like?" Mikey was suddenly side tracked as the scenery around them began to shift and change. The forest didn't fall away, but grew softer as it dipped off into deep valleys and high hills. Just in front of the them, the enormous palace was built literally into the face of the mountain, as if it were a part of the rocky face. It was massive in size, with traditional Japanese architecture that was absolutely breathtaking against the blue sky. It almost looked like the palace could fall into the valley at any moment, though it was clearly a majestic and highly protected building. "Wooooow." He gaped. Leo, Don and Koko were still further up the path than them, though the two turtles had stopped too to gaze at the sight.

"Yeah." Joey's voice held some of the same marvel that Mikey's did as she echoed his awe. "And I've seen it before. Well, he's sort of like the evil emperor for Star Wars, only more hunched and gnarled." She nodded sagely and Mikey snapped his head over to her.

"REALLY?" He gasped, not all imaging that sort of person could live in such a beautiful place.

"No, not really." She laughed patting Mikey on the back. "He's actually quite young. Sort of enigmatic though and soft spoken. But scary too - he has more magic in his pinkie than some whole people I know. He's measured. Reminds me of this guy I used to date. John, his name was John...oh right, on task Joey." She scolded herself and Mikey grinned at her.

"No way lady, I speak your language. Tangents galore! Being on task is for squares like Leo and Donnie." He assured her, looping his arm over her shoulder. They walked in unison, their strides connected as they did so.

"You came round naturally Mikey, how fortunate huh?" She teased poking the edge of his shell before she continued, somewhat thoughtfully, "He looks like Shiki. It's obvious that they're related. They're brothers, you know? Kisho, his name is Kisho. He only married into royalty. Their mother was a visiugo and their father a mage - didn't I tell you that? By the look on your face, I'm thinking...no. It's a small community Mikey, we all pretty much know each other if we're within the same vicinity. Or we're related like those Yamada boys. Its hard to maintain a whole world beneath the so-called real one. We have to keep small, otherwise we run the risk of being outted. And let me tell you...that's always a danger. You don't have to use any special title when you meet him. Just be sure you bow. Not deep or anything, just a little one will do. He's a brilliant leader, very well respected. He's the one who had to approve and arrange Kenshin's 'extradition' back here from the US. He's also who will oversee Kenshin's arraigning."

Mikey was too busy trying to remember to bow, that Kisho was related to the visiugo he knew called Shiki - the soft one that smiled more than he seemed menacing - and not to stare at Koko that he almost missed the vastness of the palace when they entered. The door was so big that it would take all four of the turtles and Master Splinter stacked on top of each other to reach the top - and even then, they might be too short. It was one of the most beautiful buildings he'd ever entered - coming from the life of a sewer, he could hardly imagine what it would be like to live somewhere so peaceful. The screens and tapestries stretched on for as far as he could see, down hallways and hiding other rooms that no doubt made the complicated structure as it was. Under their feet was a glass surface where a river, in which fish drifted to the surface occasionally, ran. He paused only when he nearly stumbled into the back of Don's shell, who was suddenly before him. He lost sight of the colorful little fish he was following - a Japanese koi - as he looked up. He lifted his head to protest when he saw why they'd stopped.

There was a man kneeling before them, his head bowed with his palms pressed to his thighs and his elbows out to his sides. Dark spears hung around his pale Asian face. His eyes fluttered open and when he lifted his head, Mikey saw what Joey meant - there was a striking resemblance between Shiki and this man. Kisho, however, had a softer glow. Where Shiki's eye were beady and his hands gnarled from being so blended with nature, Kisho was pristine and ceramic-like. His head bowed to them in greeting, to which all five - Leo, Don, Mike, Joey and Koko - responded in kind.

"Your majesty," Leo took a step forward and Kisho held up a patient hand as he climbed to his feet. Mikey's eye ridges arched, even he knew - because Joey had just told him - that he wouldn't want to be called by his title. He was graceful and light footed, the linens he wore were breezy. There was no shirt under the long cream colored vest on his torso. "My name is Kisho. Nothing formal is necessary, you may call me as my mother meant." He said, his voice - his English - soft and flowing, not unlike Kenshin's highly practiced, yet perfect, use of the language.

"I have seen your arrival through my meditation. Though I wished under better circumstances, Leonardo. It always worries me to find visitors under such dire conditions. Koko-san, please, fetch my wife and daughter. Move them to the western hold - Zira will protest, but I must insist. The gardens are lovely this time of year. Have the mistress pack additional clothes for little Hana, she'll want to play outside in the sun." The woman bowed and was off in an instant. "Things are grave indeed." His eyes were pointed at a window that overlooked the forest below.

"You're sending them away?" Joey asked hastily, catching Leo's attention as he was intrigued by her confusion. "What the hell is going on Kisho? Atsushi, the feathered beast we ran into on our way up - whom I believe trained Daichi on how to murder people - said my friends could be used as leverage and you're sending Zira and baby Hana off? Something's wrong, it has to be!"

"Precautionary, I assure you Joey-shi. It is not our battle to fight but it seems the atmosphere itself is volatile and I suspect we will not escape unscathed. Kenshin was released today." He said and it was Don's voice that echoed in the massive room with a choked '_WHAT?_'. The purple turtle stepped forward some, his face drained of color as he hadn't expected it so soon. They knew Kenshin was still put on trial for the murder of Elizabeth Penn, that he had had to go to Japan to be tried for it after stealing the attention from Casey. He couldn't fathom why he would be released so easily. Joey's hand caught his wrist and she shook her head and briefly hissed, "We knew this would happen."

Kisho squared his shoulders and folded his hands behind his back. "Donatello, here it is not a crime to be a vampire nor is it a crime to kill one. You see, the crime transpired years ago in most cases, when the human life was taken - the birth of a vampire isn't the crime, it's always the death of the human before they become a monster. That is when the injustice occurs. Magic rule is not mortal rule and therefore we're only subject to follow our own. That was where your system went wrong and why Kenshin exploited ours, on behalf of your friend and brother. Elizabeth's death was not a murder on any front as she was not, technically, alive to be killed. That's not the trouble - nor where the danger is truly present."

"That's...not the danger?" Mikey asked from the back of the group. "Uhhh - then what is?"

"As I understand, a murder was committed - one of both mortal and magical standards. Mia was killed - that was how this was launched, ne?" Don frowned at Kisho's words - it was true. Raph and Casey had witnessed the murder of Shintato Miaroyu when they had been chasing after the criminal. It felt like a life time ago.

"Yes, but Elisa killed him. Not Kenshin. She's the one that he was being tried for, it has nothing to do with Mia's death." Joey argued.

"Joey-shi..." Kisho shook his head. "Clearly the softness of my brother is wearing on you and diluting your perception. My mother, my brother, Daichi-kun...they are not normal Corvidaethrope. Nor was Mia-kun. I remember him when he was young, before he was at their mercy. That, however, is irrelevant - the who and what he was. Mia-kun still died...and he still died at the hands of a vampire. That vampire physically might have been Elisabeth. The Corvidaethrope Flight, Akira in particular as he's often out for personal gain, does not see it that way. They believe the vampire responsible for Mia's death came long before that moment - the very same that turned him to a doll."

"They blame Kenshin? For taking him as a doll all those years ago." Leo asked and Kisho's head bowed slightly.

Mikey's face was contorted in a soft frown as he seemed put off by the entire conversation. "But...I mean you said it yourself, your brother and Daichi are this Corvid-whatevers. Right? So they're nice...I mean they were nice to us, they helped us. Why would these ones be any different?" He asked honestly, confused and slightly horrified by the fact that the creatures he idolized might be dangerous. He had stroked their wings, falling in love with the softness and the power of them. He was scared of what he didn't know now of them and their possible dangerous ways.

"Remember what sensei said?" Leo asked quietly, considering how their teacher had reacted when he spotted Shiki - and his inky black wings - in their home. He felt a horrible knot in his stomach. He looked briefly at Mikey and sighed at the look of disappointment on his face, the turtle clearly having forgotten that part of their meeting. Don, however, had reached over and patted Mikey's arm. "I don't know, maybe they're special, right? We met them...they're nice people, they did help us. And if these ones are against us, then well...we'll figure that out too, right?" Don spoke softly, looking to Leo for approval, in which the leading turtle nodded.

"What have they done?" Joey's question was pained, drawing the turtles attention to Kisho too. Mikey seemed put off by the idea of what could have happened, what misdeed his favorite mystical creatures could have done.

"They stole something of value to Kenshin, as payment for their fallen kinsman."

"Raph." Leo breathed, his eyes wide and his hands even going briefly to his katanas, on reflex, as if he was prepared to fight. Mikey had gave a whisper of surprise, escaping his lips as an 'eep' while Don remained silent, color falling from his cheeks. "You mean Raph." He repeated, as if begging Kisho for a different answer.

Kisho merely nodded. "It was an act of war."

"What...what's'at mean?" Mikey's question came out in a slightly elevated manner; one in which could be described as panicked. His eyes went from Leo to Don to Joey, back to Leo and then to Kisho. He couldn't seem to find a definite person to follow and trust, so he settled on all of them to hold his spirit up right then. "Do you mean - they have him? The birds? They stole our brother?"

"Yes Mikey, that's exactly what it means and that's what they meant by leverage. You're part of the deal, the protection deal - you'd be leverage against Kenshin. The visiugo want you as much as they do your brother because then they can attack the vampires...how could they have stolen him?" Joey asked Kisho directly. It didn't sit well with Leo that she seemed on edge. She clearly hadn't expected this turn of events. He thought to Daichi's warning, how they needed to avoid the Flight entirely, and found it just their luck to be wedged in the middle of a full-fledged - no doubt centuries old - war for power.

"That I don't know." Kisho admitted. "My inner eye is limited and my magic, though practical and effective, is limited unless I'm present. I wasn't there when he was taken. I simply know that he was. They have trained assassins. The Corvidaethrope pose a serious threat to the vampire community. They will forever attempt to infiltrate the other magical communities for the upper hand in a plot for domination. Just last week they tried to poison me." He pointed to a spot on his head. "I have built an immunity to their magical poisons, but they still have a residual magical effect from time to time." It was only then that it was obvious that there was a swatch of purple hair mixed in with the black, where he pointed. "It will fade with time, as the toxin exits my body but I'm reminded that they are still a threat. Furthermore, its personal - they have not forgotten that Shiki-sama, a traitor in their eyes, and I are related. They will continue to try and best us all, for as long as they can. They believe it justifiable as they try to find a 'balance' and 'order' to the magical world only to manipulate and control it as a way to do the best for everyone. They do quite the opposite in their dictatorial and aggressive ways. As long as we'll let them, they will keep trying. We can not side with Vampires any more than they can side with us. The only allies we have are the few fae remaining here. There will forever be a schism as there are so many wrongs to be righted."

"Its like that everywhere, Kisho. Except we get along with most of our visiugo in the US. But everything is a power struggle. It just happens that they have one of ours now and that means the war is personal to us too." Joey explained.

"Of that I am very aware, fortunately so or I would fail my people. I mean not to do that, but they should be ready as there will be backlash to all facets of the magic community because of Akira's theft."

"Will they hurt Raph?" Leo asked, his eyes set on Kisho.

"It's unlikely, but they're unpredictable particularly if Tokyo-san is dripping poison into Akira's ear. It all relies on him, he controls the Flight and it seems that no one inside of the Flight sees this. He is dangerous, the puppet master. He let Akira take the throne when the last leader fell, and I'm sure it was strategic. But there's no understanding Tokyo's strategy. It's said that he earned his name, as no one remembers the one his parents gave him, because the former leader of the Flight said, when he was still a fledgling, that if he choose to, he could take all of Tokyo without batting an eye and rule it. He's flighty and frightening for it. He, however, was friends - if Tokyo has ever had a true friend in his life - with Mia. This, for him, is personal. Therefore, he may act out of hand and unexpectedly. It's very unlikely that he will kill your brother, at least until he can watch the vampire suffer for it, since at the moment your brother is Kenshin's favorite thing."

"Or he could be killing him right now." Joey protested, to which Leo puffed up and squared his shoulders. He was ready and prepared to go just then to find Raph, no amount of waiting sat well with him. "Because, as you already pointed out, Tokyo acts retarded and unexpectedly."

"True, but remember, it's more than that - the layers are complicated. Akira still formally runs the Flight. I'm sure this is not the moment in which he would choose to betray Akira. Not yet. He, instead, will be much more willing to use all four of you to taunt and tease Kenshin...much like the taunting of a raging bull."

"We have to get Raph back." Leo insisted firmly, having stepped forward some in a bold effort to assert his seriousness.

"Are you prepared to do that, no matter the cost?" Kisho challenged, though it was clear he had hope for Leo's answer.

"I am." He stated firmly, knowing full well what Kisho was implying - death. He meant it too - he would die for Raph, if necessary. Whatever would save his brother, he would do it. He had not come to Japan just to idly sit and wait until the moment to save Raph was convenient. Therefore this speed bump, however terrifying, was but an obstacle Leo was determined to overcome.

"As am I." Joey took a step up next to Leo, her eyes met his and she offered him a little firm and determined nod. "I can lead the way to the Corvidaethrope compound. I know where it is."

"Me too." Don interjected and a final, 'And me! Don't forget me!' came from the back, to which Joey grinned and Leo gave a nod which matched Joey's from a moment before.

"It might not end the war but we'll get him back and perhaps turn the tides and direction of who's to claim victory." Leo told Kisho, who nodded.

"I will do what I can from here, you have my allegiance." Kisho told them.

"I'm going too." Koko had just returned. Her expression was set and her clothes had been changed from the formal kimono she'd been in to into that of travelling garb. She walked up to Leo and bowed her head to him. "If you'll allow it. My brother could not be helped, but I won't see another brother lost - being pulled between two faction that have no business fighting over them. I too am skilled, perhaps not as I have been told of your fighting prowess or in the ways of raw magic as Joey-shi knows, but my channeling of that power is strong. I can be a boon to you. Mia-kun was my brother and this fight, it's not just yours. It's for all those who have family stuck between them, before or to come. I will fight for them. I too am prepared to die for that cause."

Leo's eyes moved to Kisho, who stood silent awaiting the leading turtle's response. He glanced at Joey too who gave him no help save a small arch of one eyebrow. Koko's passion was true and her words strong, he suspected her conviction would not waiver. Furthermore Leo figured he owed it to her, as he suspected he would feel the same if their roles were reversed. "Of course. Of course you may join us. We could use all the help we can get, particularly if you know of their ways. We're new to all this"

Koko returned his nod. "Joey-shi and I are familar with their ways and can offer guidance in their behaviors."

"_Yesssssss_!" Joey heard Mikey hiss just behind her and a lazy smirk crossed her face as she rolled her eyes in mock annoyance.


	24. Here I Sit, All Alone In This Room

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>**Part II  
><strong>Chapter 7:  
><span>Here I Sit, All Alone In This Room<span>

Raph's rusty Japanese had been reinstituted swiftly; it was like being thrown into a tub full of ice water and trying to breathe. It was a good thing he was a fast learner when put on the spot because otherwise, he would be entirely lost on what was going on. He didn't like being uninformed, at least a little, of the dangers around him as it meant he couldn't be prepared defensively. Raph, however, worked better under pressure and his life was far enough on the line that he was strangely comfortable with his strength. That remained true as he found himself in a cage made of raw tree branches in the canopy of a dense forest. He had, when he first arrived - not even remembering how he'd gotten there as he was pretty sure he was unconscious most of the time - tried to break through the branches only to discover that they were extraordinarily strong. He was pissed that he'd been moved without his knowledge, which had him at a disadvantage. His sais were gone and he was still naked without his mask.

A man had arrived some time before, though Raph couldn't be sure he was the first one to come or just relieving another guard before him. He was perched in one of the trees overhead, effortlessly resting on the thick and sturdy branch. He hadn't been much of a conversationalist, not that Raph fancied himself as one - that was left for Mikey. Raph, however, had complained at him - demanded answers and merely got stared at in return. Those beady, bird-like eyes bore dangerously into him, though he fought it back with a snap of his words and a roll of his eyes. It was unnerving to be watched that closely and was grating on his already thin patience. "If you'd just let me out, we could settle this like real men. I promise to go easy on ya." Raph bitched relentlessly. But he was grateful, even if caged, to be out of the cuffs Kenshin had kept him in. Here, he could at least pace.

"Sakamoto-san, leave us."

Raph's head snapped up and he watched the man in the tree unfold dark, ominous wings that - in a rustle - lifted him from the branches and he landed gracefully on the forest floor. Silently, he vanished, but not before offering a bow to the man who addressed him. The new comer was smaller than Raph by an inch or so, but he too was bare chested to accommodate the velvety raven wings. Raphael could pick out the words, albeit Japanese, that this new man spoke. It wasn't the words that baffled him - it was the speed at which they were spoken; even Leo didn't rattle off Japanese as quickly as native speakers - though he had heard Shiki and Daichi prattle at each other in their speedy native tongue.

He came to the edge of the cage and looked in on Raph. His face was too pretty to be manly, perhaps prettier than most women Raph knew of. If anything, he looked entirely effeminate in his blonde locks and narrow and dark lined eyes. The strangest part was that black lines bled down his neck, fading the further they went - as if his bird half never fully abandoned him no matter how human he tried to be. It looked like it could be make-up, but the consistency and reality of it was that it was part of the man's skin entirely. Natural. "What sort of prize are you? Why are _you_so important?" He asked in a slur of Japanese that it took Raph's mind a minute to unfold and piece together in his own language.

"Suck it - pretty boy." Raph barked in his coarser, American dialect.

A smile flicked across the man's face. "Akira. It's what they call me." He said stiffly, lifting his chin and glancing down the bridge of his nose arrogantly at Raph. "Your master was responsible for a tragic death. You seem a suitable payment for his misdeed. We shall see. I understand you know how to fight."

"Yeah, like your boy Daichi." Raph hissed automatically, as he figured that - knowing that Shiki and Daichi abandoned the Flight - it would instigate the bird man to be displeased. Raph was all about causing a stir if he could manage it. He had not, however, expected the reaction he got. The black lines down Akira's neck bled out, turning almost his entire neck black, and the blonde locks on top of his head faded to a charcoal color. It appeared the same way a person's face would pillow in pink when frustration overcame them. His jaw clearly set and his nostrils flared some, all indicators to Raph that he'd been successful and made a smile arch on his lips.

"You know of Yoshida Daichi?" He growled, Raph's smirk growing in size at the displeased man.

"Know him? Shit, that's old news. We're pals." Raph lied. Most of the time, he wished he could drag Daichi out in the nearest alley and beat him silly. Partly because he was jealous and partly because he reminded Raph of Leo for his approach to battle. Either way, it was a bluff Raph had faith he could pull off.

"Akira-san..." The blond man, as his hair had started to blend to it's natural color, turned in his spot to a dark-haired man. Raph's eyes had flickered too, not expecting the interruption to his gimmick. This one had no wings that Raph could see. "Allow me."

"Tokyo." The leader of the Corax, proud and arrogant Akira, gave a firm little nod and did not question the squirrelly looking man. He didn't move until Akira had retreated from the highly forested area. It was as if this place was actually inside as the underbrush was so thick and the canopy overhead blocked out most of the light. He stood in the back and watched Raph like he was an animal in a cage at the zoo. That, alone, raked Raph raw. He was more than annoyed by this man's - called Tokyo - observation of him. Furthermore, Raph wanted answers and out..._now_.

"Daichi is not a threat to me and his name will not intimidate me. In fact, part of me admires him for his flight with Yoshiki-sama from our land. All the better - their freedom is to be envied. Nothing you can say will intimidate me." Tokyo took a few graceful steps forward, as if his feet were walking on clouds. His words were in English, it wasn't nearly as perfected at Kenshin who had had years to make that language his focus, but it certainly was practiced. All of Tokyo was meticulous. His clothes were even pressed; he wore a shirt unlike the others and his jaggy hair laid in perfect spears across his face. He definitely didn't belong around the grime and grit of a forest, even if naturally beautiful. He was little, Raph was sure he could break him with one finger for how willowy Tokyo's body was. A coy smile crossed Tokyo's otherwise blank face, as if he could sense Raph's train of thought as well as his assumption. It was eerie, like the creek of a floorboard in an otherwise silent room.

"You think you're a prisoner. Your perception is wrong. We are all prisoners if we look at the world as you are now. In these bodies, on this earth, trapped by rules and physics. That is way I don't answer to those. But you can't see beyond what's trapping you." He reached over a plucked a leaf off from a nearby branch. His voice was laden with a soft accent, almost songish in nature. "Nature...She is fond of me." The way he spoke was as if he was a confused child - his speech pattern and inflection was oddly off, and Raph couldn't put his finger on why. Something about him, just the very tone he spoke with, seemed to be peculiar but it was hard not to be soothed by how soft he was too.

"Well if that's the case, then why don't you let me outta here and I'll show you just how much of a prisoner I'm not!" Raph's nostrils flared as he barked his 'request' at the man.

Tokyo didn't look up, his eyes were settled on the soft leaf between his fingers. He held hit lightly between his index finger and middle finger. "She likes you. Nature. Or you wouldn't be...what you are."

"It was a freak accident. Not _nature_ that did this to me. Chemicals. **Science**." Raph gloated snidely. It was the best way he could explain that which he didn't understand fully - that was for Don to handle, not him. "The antithesis to your precious nature." It helped him in this stand-off with the man who seemed so set on nature's glory.

Tokyo tipped his head to the side. "There you go again." His tone never rose nor fell, he was almost always as blank as his expression. "Confined by what your mind can accept. I assure you - She picked you. Without Her, the chemicals as you call them, never would have been made and they never would have found you to turn you into whatever you are. We are all at Her mercy. The sooner your accept that - the sooner you won't be a prisoner." Tokyo held up the leaf. "You see this?" He asked.

"So?" Raph snapped. "It's a leaf - we got 'em in America too. Ya ain't special for it."

With a mere flick of his wrist, Tokyo let the leaf fly. It sliced through the air with precision and, like a knife, cut into the flesh of Raph's cheek. The sting that burned across his skin was telling and Raph was sure it was a trick of some sort. He'd seen enough crazy things lately to believe it could be magic all its own. But what got him most was how sudden it all was, not even his body could respond to what was happening before it did. He gritted his teeth but didn't flinch or show the pain it caused, no mattered how he could feel the bubble of blood trickle down his face and draw a sticky red line down his cheek.

The act was random and Tokyo gave out a single laugh of glee - like a mad chirp of an excited bird - but it faded sharply into dead silence.

"That don't prove nothin'!" Raph snapped, irritated with the man. "'Cept you know how to play some fancy trick! Guess what, I've seen a'lot'a magic tricks lately, ain't nothin'"

"You're a dumb animal." Tokyo said in the same blasé voice though there was some emphasis on the word 'dumb'. "You will always be as long as you answer to your rules. Nature had no laws, man put those laws on her as an explanation for how things work. Man, however, is fallible." Tokyo leaned close to the bars. "So, you're my prisoner - by your own rules. And tell me...if you're poisoned by chemicals - an _explanation_, like man's for everything - how is it that your blood isn't tainted by your very birth? You have scars and I've heard the stories of you being eaten from like a buffet table - Kenshin likes to boast about his toys. Your sibling as well. If you were truly a chemical creation, something unnatural, you wouldn't lure them the way anything living does. There's something special about you and it's not science - science is mans way of explaining that which can't, and shouldn't, be explained. Just experienced." Tokyo leaned back. "But as you have opted for your fate - a prisoner you shall be. And a pawn. I suspect you like to fight. I hope that stays after our first round with you. Entertainment fighting. I hope you're as good as you believe yourself to be. It was no trick...just a leaf." He turned and with that was gone.

Raph, annoyed and bitter, finally wiped at the blood on his face and slumped in his spot. This place was miserable. He liked it better with the vampire, at least he could accept his fate blindly rather than be consumed by confusing thoughts about his origin and understanding of who - or what - he was. His hand, when he flopped unceremoniously to his backside, landed on something soft. It was starkly different than the twigs and underbrush. He lifted it between his fingers. There he held the softest leaf he'd ever held - it was flimsy and delicate but along the edge was a line of blood. It stained the green from where the leaf had cut through his face. "And they say we're the freaks." He muttered in disgust as he dropped the leaf that slice through his skin like a knife through warm butter. It floated, as if feather light, to the ground. Mocking him for all of its grace and innocence.

Soon Raph would have to embrace a change of view, though he had no idea to what, or he'd be destroyed by something he didn't understand. Something clearly much bigger than he knew it to be as this whole magic deal - both in practice and philosophy - didn't seem to be going away any time soon. He sighed heavily, his head falling back against a thick stick bar of the cage with a heavy thud.

He wished he'd never seen that damn body in the alley.


	25. We've Had Enough

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>**Part II  
><strong>Chapter 8:  
><span>We've Had Enough<span>

Joey and Koko both agreed that a hike up the side of the mountain would be best. It was the easiest way for them to get there with all of them in tow - Koko's magic was strong, but it took a lot out of a mage to transport so many so far. Therefore, Leo was in no position to argue - he didn't know much of the logistics anyhow and he would take what he could get, so long as they got to wherever Raph was. He was one step further as he had taken their suggestion by leading the party with his katana hacking through the thick Japanese underbrush. With each and every whack that could be heard of metal against plant, Leo's rage and fear was unleashed as he was consumed by thoughts of Raph. His brother was in trouble and for it, he was worried - but he was angry at Raph too for having brought them into this situation in the first place. The only thing he could take that frustration out on, as Raph wasn't there, was the Japanese foliage.

"I was thinking something a little less scenic and a little more urban. A bungalow by the bay, lit up with those fancy paper lanterns and maybe a few Japanese masseuses - a little less Raph hunting. He'd be there - ya know, slapping me and telling me to 'Shut up Mikey!' Ya know, the usual. What kinda vacation is this?" Mikey commented more to himself than anything as he was one to often talk to himself. He was trudging behind them, with Don beside him, as they were kicking off some of the brush after Leo had hacked it free. Lingering in the back of Mikey's mind was how he had destroyed Raph's chances at survival - how, while Raph made this decision, Mikey blamed himself. However, he also figured now, between the magic-girl Koko and Joey, they might come up with a way to save him. To right these wrongs so they could figure out how to get Raph better. He was hopeful, trusting of them even, that they could find a way to save Raph all together, despite his own mistakes. Therefore it gave him a little bit of free reign to be himself and to show off for the girl.

Leo was too focused to notice Mikey's antics and instead was focused on the breezy Japanese that Koko and Joey were yapping at one another. He was doing his best to hear them over the sound of his work. "This way was more dangerous?" He stopped and snapped around at something he heard Joey hiss at Koko. He looked displeased by their words, if not entirely aghast as he had trusted them and therefore trusted they offered the safest, fastest route.

"I didn't say that. Where is your courage these days, Leo?" Joey respond with a tiny jeer and taunt in her voice as she moved passed him. Leo was left looking at Koko, almost begging for answers as he was hardly in the mood right then to tease and taunt Joey before getting a real response. She did give him a small pat on the shoulder as she passed him though and Leo merely sighed.

"All paths are dangerous, Leonardo-san. All of them. If we forge a way that's not often taken, we have an advantage over our enemies. However, these woods are heavily guarded. That's all Joey meant. We have only been traveling for two days and we are nearing the compound. The Flight is more prone to protect their boarders, just as we are." Koko told him. "We have long been in Flight lands. It's just that now we come up on their outlying holds."

"Guys?"

The second Joey's questioning voice came out, cutting Leo off before he could answer Koko. Alll four sprinted forward, having instantly been called forward by Joey's uncertainty. Just beyond the next bit of bushes, the area opened up into a gap in the forest. It was seemingly misplaced for how dense the forest had been and how suddenly a grassy field appeared.

"That's weird - its not normal, right? What is it?" Don asked, having stepped up beside Joey first. He was pointing to a web of branches that bubbled up from the ground in a massive circle right in the middle of the open area in the forest.

"It's the arena." Koko's tone was stoic as silence fell around them.

"Uh...the what?" Mikey finally broke the silence. "Like for basketball? Doesn't look too scary from here - more like a hill." A hand came down on Mikey's shoulder and he jumped from being startled. It was half out of fear and half out of reflex as a smack to the back of the head often followed a comment like his.

"You mustn't go forward Michelangelo-sama." Koko's voice hit his ears, so soft and airy in her eloquent Japanese. He had the overwhelming urge to show off to this woman, to offer up his own grace and beauty though it was more likely said grace would be hardly as alluring. That desire to impress, however, was what made him take several bold steps forward. He wanted to prove he was brave enough, even if she told him not to go. He even strut as he moved, puffing up his chest and squaring his shoulders like the courageous, graceful warrior he was trained to be. Later he'd ask Joey if Koko was watching.

"MIKEY!" It was Don's voice that came to him in shrill panic. The purple clad turtle had sprung forward as he spotted a black feathered dart shoot forward from one of the gathering of trees on the fringe of the opening. Don twisted in the air and deflected the dark with the thick of his shell to protect Mikey's front, having caught Mikey's shoulders for leverage as he went. Both went rolling to the ground a moment later, the roundness of their bodies aiding in their trajectory. They both, however, came up in immediate fighting stances just as gracefully as if nothing had happened.

In a second, there was a rain of darts all aimed at the two turtles. Don's bo came up and caught a trio of them down the length of it, lodged into the shaft. Mikey, who had sprinted one way, skidded to a halt a second later. He was kicking up the dirt as he went, creating a thin cloud of dust around his feet, making it harder to see where he was going next. He immediately shoot off the other way as to keep on the move, never giving much time for aimed darts to hit him.

"Leo!" Joey caught his wrist, though it did nothing, as he'd already lunged forward. If his brothers were fighting, he was fighting with them. Leo's teeth were barred and he ready to fight along side his brothers. In fact, as he threw himself into the opening, he sliced through perfectly aimed darts. Their lengths were cut in half as they were stopped in the middle of the air and fell directly to the ground. With the faces of his katanas, he was able to deflect others as their sharp tips collided with the metal.

"They'll be killed." Koko slipped back a little bit, horrified.

"Or worse - captured!" Joey barked as she reached out and caught the nearest tree truck to stable herself - to think of a plan. "They have no idea what will happen if they're thrown in the arena - and sure as shit they will be!" Joey moved to follow, not fully thinking it through as there was hardly any time. She'd be damned before she'd let those three turtles fight alone. She figured Koko would be right behind her, with her magic to aid her. Leo was still fighting the invisible adversaries boldly as they came from all directions. Meanwhile, Don was swatting the darts as they came and Mikey had tucked most of his body into a little dancing ball so they all deflected off from his shell.

Joey only made it one step when she felt herself jerked backward. "You'll want to stop." She heard a voice say behind her. As she'd already moved to jerk free, it was successful but only because Koko was wrapped up in the strong arms of a black winged Asian man. The little American woman fell into the dirt and scrambled back. The man who was holding Koko held up a hand to stop the other man - with wings too - who'd moved to grab up Joey as she slipped from his fingers.

"Now who's trespassing, chancellor?" The man leaned over, the same tall one that Koko had run off before - Atsu had been his name. He spoke very close to her cheek that his lips muffled some against her skin.

"You have something that belongs to us. We'll leave when we have it." Koko snapped, her voice strong and her eyes set forward on where the turtles still danced their awful dance with the darts.

"Ah yes I heard about Mia, your brother. Of his death and Kenshin's doing...Kenshin's pet as it were, I can only assume that's what you mean. Mia was taken from us...he was a friend of Tokyo, we've heard nothing but how that vampire will pay."

"Tokyo has no friends." Koko said, though her face showed terror as she was facing the four brothers. "I remember him well, when he visited our home and when he attacked Shiki-sama unprovoked to see what his reaction would be. Yes I remember the maniac that you keep in your ranks. He treated Mia kindly, but they were never friends." She only went silent when his grip tightened. "You will give us Raph back to us, where he belongs."

"He belongs to us now. The vampire paid his debt with the life of a turtle. So you see, you won't be leaving with him." Atsushi explained. "You won't be leaving at all. Move any closer and she'll be dead." The Corvidaethrope warned when Leo's barred teeth gritted and prepared his katana in his hand. The darts had ceased and left the turtles all huffing and puffing in their adrenaline, Leo's katanans held high up and ready to attack. However he didn't move, not when he was so clearly threatened and the innocent life of the mage chancellor was in danger. He was not a murderer.

"Then we are at an impasse." Leo challenged, flicking a hand slightly so that the katana reflected some of the sun's rays.

"Not entirely." He nodded his head a single time. With it, as if a signal, a blow gun dart pierced the air. It was silent before, with a soft thud, it hit Joey in neck, right under the chin. Leo didn't have a chance to fully glance at her, to realize what had happened, as it all went so fast. She was already sitting so with it she blinked hard, several times as the substance on the end entered her body.

"Leo..." she mumbled, almost begging him, before she collapsed with the same sort of thud that struck her neck, flat on the ground and unmoving. Her hair was spread out around her and the dart stuck up out of her neck like an ugly flag of victory, one that made Leo's heart pump fast and rage overcome him. With a bite to his tongue, he kept himself from jumping on Atsu in attack.

"Take out the unpredictable ones first." Atsushi said. Before Leo could ask what he meant, the winged man had brought up an identical dart and jabbed it into Koko's neck. "Who needs to hear them complain anyway?" He asked rhetorically, as he dumped Koko's limp form onto the winged man next to him.

"You will pay for that." Leo pointed his katana at Atsushi, fire and rage a kin to his red-brother's. Mikey piped up from behind in agreement with a "Totally!" while Don had ducked down next to Joey, pulling the dart from her neck. It had a red stripe around the belly of the wood. He remembered speaking with Daichi about his poisons and the ones blotted on the end of his various darts. There was a set up for it, traditional and age-old for the Flight. Red was not deadly, but blue - blue was meant to be the final dart that could, in ideal circumstances, kill an enemy in less than sixty seconds. Daichi had no blue darts and no intention to make any. Don noted that there were no blue darts on the ground either, only red with an occasional yellow.

"Joey?" Don asked, holding her head lightly. "Joey, can you hear me?" The soft mumble and bob of her head let Don breathe easy, but not entirely as he felt a prick of his own on the back of his neck. It was fast acting, like a warm bucket of water was being dosed across his entire body so that he floated above his own consciousness. Joey's body in front of him went blurry, like a muddled rainbow of colors and he weaved in his spot before collapsing on top of her.

"I think you'll see that there are more of us than you and you can fight all you like but we will bring you down." Atsushi explained calmly.

"Don, no!" Leo's teeth ground together and he glanced over his shoulder as he heard the rustle of the bushes and trees around them. They were suddenly surrounded, nothing but high standing black wings blocking their view of the rest of the forest. Leo bowed deeply. It was a retreat, Leo knew that they would go with Atsushi as he wished. This way, he could go awake and aware - so he could see where he was taken; and formulate an escape plan. "Put your weapons down, Mikey. Put them down."

"Wha?" Mikey slurred out his word but when Leo held up a hand, Mikey did as he was told. He trusted his brother blindly - Leo could guide Mikey to his death and the orange wearing turtle would be none the wiser.

Leo had watched the two girls, their unconscious bodies, as they were taken in a different direction. He and Mikey were chained and pushed off in the same direction while Don was dragged by one wrist. It took all of Leo's strength not to shout at them to have the decency to carry him, and to check for broken bones on Joey's smaller frame as she'd been crushed under Don's dead weight. He bit his tongue hard as he and Mikey were led underground, he could only assume into what was called 'the arena'. He had to do his best to ignore the scraping sound of Don's shell, no doubt shaving off layers, while Mikey whimpered a few times at the horrific sound.

They were taken underground, though a door near the huge woven, branches. As they got closer, Leo could see that it was a huge structure built into the earth. There was a ring of graduated seating that led almost to ground level. But a huge pit, circular and deep, with the same mesh grate to separate it from the seating area, was depressed as the point of interest for the ring of seating. The arena. Above it all was the dome that protruded from the ground, pushing up into the field, and covered with thick, woven branches. The stench of death and blood lingered on the walls. Mikey, he knew, smelled it too, but his brother, uncharacteristically, kept his mouth shut. He wasn't sure if Mikey's silence was due to his fear or if it was because he was following Leo's lead, or both. it added to the eeriness of the arena as it was currently empty, though there was a chill in the air as if the screams and shouts of its previous occupants still hung in suspension. He didn't have much of a chance to look himself though, as he was smacked in the heels with the blow gun of one of the birdmen who brought up the rear, instigating him to move forward.

It was only after they'd been taken down many flights of narrow stair ways that they were forced into small cells. It would be a lie to say that Joey wasn't on his mind, but she was mixed in with his worry about Raph and Koko and now Don as his unconscious brother was pitched into the cell haplessly next to his own. Mikey was on the other side of Don, the three of them separated by surprisingly thick and strong woven bars.

_This must have been what Master Splinter was talking about - these horrid creatures. It must be why he dismissed Shiki at first_, Leo thought, recalling the cold and cautious demeanor his sensei had put on when meeting the raven man. The Corvidaethrope were brutal and unbending, that much seemed clear. But, at least this way he might be able to learn what became of Raph and if his brother was getting sicker from the curse that was still with him. Even more importantly, if he was to be a 'contestant' in this arena as it clearly was not a place he should be.

"New, eh?" A dirty face peeked between the bars at Leo, his songish Japanese piercing the silence. He didn't seem alarmed to see a massive turtle.

Leo merely looked at the man. He was, like the majority of them, Asian. He, however, had the big black wings that the Corvidaethrope did, overshadowing his little body. The other man who was shoved into the tiny cell with him, lingering in the back, also had the classic signs of the birdmen. He was tucked in the corner though and barely looked over at Leo from where he was wrapped up in his own arms with his head tucked down as far as it could be.

"I'm Tanjiro and this is Hani-san. The man who occupied your cell before never came back. I'm assuming he never will."

"Why?" Leo had glanced away but snapped his head back to the other prisoner. He was unsure if he actually wanted to know the reason why. "Why are you here? Why wouldn't he return? You're one of them, aren't you? Your black wings say so. Why would they cage you too? What will they do with us?"

Tanjiro glanced sideways at his cell mate who had lifted his head curiously when Leo began asking questions. "Because he's dead. Seung. His name was Seung." Hani, the one further away, said in a deep voice that reverberated in his narrow yet long chest. He was very obviously a tall man from the way he hunched. It was accentuated by the fact that he was lean and that made him look all that much taller. "Because you are now in the hands of monsters who will stop at nothing for brutal entertainment and domination in their own way. We disagree with their ways and therefore we are enemies of the Flight - our own people. Not all of us are villains." Hani, as he spoke, was soft and gentle. He wasn't angry for what had happened, and Tanjiro seemed to have energy, hopeful as he nodded to the gentle man's words. "I will not fight for their amusement. They'll drag out me there and they'll have to kill me instead. I will not be a toy."

"Hani's right. We're not all like them and when we aren't we have to be...disposed of. And what better way than to be branded as a traitor and forced to fight and be killed in their arena." Tanjiro explained. "They will make you fight too - you'll be new and fun. I don't think I've seen a turtle visiugo before. Have you Hani?" The tall man merely shook his head and mumbled something about never having seen any others at all.

"I'm not a visiugo." Leo answered simply. He wished Don was there to better explain what they were as he didn't know quite how to make it make sense to anyone else. Furthermore, he just wished Don was awake and could contribute at all. He could hear, in the cell over, as Mikey was trying to get to Don's hand and had finally taken it through the bars. He figured Mikey couldn't understand them as he could and therefore was more focused on Don than the other prisoners. "Though I know of them now. I'm a...mutant. A mutant turtle. It's a long story, one I don't tell that well. But its not natural, not like you two. It's a science experiment gone wrong, really." Leo sighed. "Has anyone ever broken free?"

Tanjiro's eyes lit up, though he had been particularly intrigued with Leo and his story of being a mutant. He had put it aside to ask more about later. "Yes!" He beamed. "Or so the story says...yes."

Hani's hand came down on Tanjiro's shoulder and he leaned forward a little. His face was also marked with dirt and filth against soft, pale skin. "It is merely a rumor and has only said to have happened once. Some years ago when the Flight was in turmoil, Akira's father, led with a more realistic view and had plans to change their ways, slowly. Do not mistake me, he still ruled with an unfair dictatorship. But change was on the air. However, he was bringing up a group of young ones who were all hopeful for the throne. All violent and all blood thirsty. Among them was his own son - Akira. Tokyo, Atsushi, Yoshiki and Rinji were but a few of the hopefuls. And they fought as they held a guise of friendship. Akira's father, the true Flight leader, did this to distract them.

"He had chosen his disciple without their knowledge. An orphan who had come from nothing and therefore had nothing to lose. He also showed something Akira's father had not seen and thought needed to be granted the Flight for them to change. Compassion. He was younger at the time and while the boys tried to determine who was dominate Akira's father took this orphan, Daichi Yoshida was his name, under his wing. He taught the boy about pride and honor. He taught him how to fight and planned for him to ascend the Flight throne in his stead, for he knew that Akira - his own son's - heart was too black for the changes he'd tried to set into motion.

"It was when Daichi became a man, as he was taught - sometimes brutally - by other members of the Flight, that he became a threat to Akira. Daichi-san had the makings of a everything the Flight needed. Amid the fight and power struggle Yoshiki had retreated to live in the mountains alone - away from the Flight; but still as their medicine man. He answered when they needed him and kept him self when they didn't. Daichi was nearly eighteen when he made his final stop among the flight leaders in his 'training' at Yoshiki's home. Here, Akira's father, had hoped he would learn how to balance the struggle between his peers when he finally took that final place. Something, however, became more important to Daichi than changing the Flight and being a leader. Love.

"It was there that Yoshiki - a known gay Corvidaethrope, though they all ignored it as its frowned upon - took young Daichi's heart. Daichi, at that time, learned his true passion and found his spiritual wings. He planned, with Yoshiki's help, to take his place as the Flight leader. He wanted it but for change. After all, he had changed Yoshiki's mind about what it meant to be a Corvidaethrope. Now he just had to impress that on the people. Many of us were hopeful for it. But when Akira's father died unexpectedly Akira claimed it, no matter what his wishes had been. It was then that the Flight found themselves broken. Those faithful followers of Akira's father wanted to see Daichi rise as it had been his hope, those who were more inclined to the old ways supported Akira.

"Daichi had no intention of letting that happen. However it was Tokyo, and no one knows how to this day, that captured the strong and well trained disciple. Some speculate that it was magic, others think that he used Yoshiki, some think that Tokyo was just smarter. No matter the case he was placed in one of these cells. Just as we are now. He was placed in the arena, demanded to show his strength and Daichi, in turn, demanded to face Akira. He would fight no one but Akira himself. As Akira is a sly and manipulative man, not a warrior of any sort he had Daichi attacked by all the force he had and Daichi defended himself but killed no one.

"It was Yoshiki, however, having his lover stolen from him that gained help of others, outside of the Flight, and with his knowledge of the Flight, having once been part of it, set fire to the arena. Love drove him as Daichi had changed his mind about how the Flight should be run. If Daichi could change his mind - one of the former hopefuls, he could change anyone. They were never seen again. It's rumored that they died together in the blaze. Some say they escaped and will return one day. Whatever the case is about what really happened Daichi escaped this fate. Even if it was through death, it was on his own terms and not Akira's."

Leo had leaned into the bars as he listened raptly to what they no doubt assumed was a fable, some old folklore even. It sounded very much like the men he knew in so many ways but another part of him wondered why Daichi hadn't returned to take back the throne that should be his. He could stop all of this if he would just return, they might not even be stuck there if that was the case. Though in truth, it would be just as bad to fight a vampire. If there were those that still had hope in Daichi, like these two men clearly did, like Leo himself did, then he could make the revolutionary changes that this place needed. Leo was already considering how Kisho would support the man that Leo himself had looked up to. Leo, with such noble intentions and ideals, wondered how any man could choose self-satisfaction over the whole.

He couldn't imagine a world where Shiki was a barbaric like the rest of the Flight, but he also knew that the Shiki he knew was not the one these men spoke of in his youth. Shiki himself had admitted to his former violent streak and growth from it. Love clearly changed people and Leo was left wondering if he would do the same for Joey. Part of him thought he might, he certainly loved her enough. Yet was he was willing to disregard all of his morality and beliefs to be happy with her? That was possible too, and perhaps the most terrifying part of love - how far he was willing to go to keep it. Clearly Daichi would go to any length.

"Don't give up hope." Leo finally told them. "Don't abandon the dream that the flight can be or the one that Daichi-shi and Yoshiki-sama flew out of here on. We will need that hope ourselves to defeat this. To be the second ones to escape. It is not impossible and if they had the will power, we do too. It comes from within, not just a great leader but one inside ourselves too."

"That's what I was saying." Tanjiro beamed, a bright smile on his face as he looked excitedly between Hani and Leo. Leo smiled softly back at him, encouraged by the energy of the small Asian man.

"You haven't been made to fight yet." Hani told him softly. Tanjiro merely shrugged while Leo bit back a comment about how he had fought enough adversaries to probably hold his own against whatever monstrosity the Flight could throw his way.

"How long...have you been here?" Leo asked, worried for a moment that it wouldn't be a short journey. Not if they had been there so long and still hadn't been forced to fight.

"Weeks. But you will likely not wait that long. You are a novelty where as we are not." Hani added calmly. Mikey had glanced over to them, as if he was hearing bits and pieces but still pet Don's hand lightly. He was consumed by Don's well being and clearly was willing to give Leo the reigns in this situation.

"There isn't another turtle here then?" Leo questioned, frowning some as he was certain that Akira and his fellow would boast about their prize. Perhaps they were wrong...Kisho was wrong...they didn't have Raph, not anymore. At least not here.

"Not that I am aware of. They have been readying the arena all day though, I suspect there will be a fight soon. A show."

"How often do they fight?" Leo inquired, trying to piece together the possibilities. What if Raph had already fought? And, even worse, what if he had fought already lost? Leo had faith in his brother but he couldn't help the fear that flooded him in that moment. just as he heard Don groan behind him.

"There is no set time or day, but the whole Flight will come to watch the sport. Hundreds of squawking, blood thirsty birds just waiting for a good head tearing or limp crunching. Usually they hold until they have enough 'participants' for a series of fights or a star - such as Daichi or yourselves. When they have something or someone that isn't a bird to be torn apart Surely there's a reason you're here."

Leo's eyes narrowed. "I will fight only long enough to get my family and me out. Their sport is not mine and their games will not be played. I will come back for you if you haven't been taken first. I promise this to you."

Hani had not been lying, nor had he been a fool. Leo was jerked from his cage, but not before being lightly sedated along with his brothers. It was not even an hour after he'd learned the full history of the two Corvidaethrope who gave them sufficient warnings and helped try to save the turtles in their own way. From under the mesh vine and branch made ceiling, Leo could see that the rafters were full. There were people, all with big black wings, stuffed in the bleachers while there were even thick, full birds resting on the mesh and bars. He could seen see faces leaning over the secondary mesh that led directly outside, as if they had the worst seats in the house. It was like a second set of reinforcements. This was an ideal set up for the Flight leaders and he could see how difficult it would be to escape, if not entirely impossible.

There was a little box set up that had a larger opening, where Akira was situated with a few of his friends. Leo had never seen Akira but he assumed the man was in fact the leader of the Flight from his positioning. Furthermore the opening in the grate was curious. He figured it was for the leader to throw things down; of course it made him vulnerable too. There was nothing, no mesh, to protect that special VIP type viewing box. But Leo figured that he was arrogant enough not to care. He figured that Akira wore a front of fearlessness. The turtle wondered how fearless he truly was. The thought didn't linger as he was given a jab and pushed out into the pit ring. As he knew of the blood smell it also smelled earthy for the fact that it was dug into the ground and manufactured from the side of a mountain.

Mikey was looking toward Don, with concerned eyes as Don was standing on wobbly knees for the fact that he'd been sedated twice. The birds took no chances as they drew them from their cages, giving Don a second light injection. Mikey could tell his own coordination was off even if it didn't look it. Leo appeared to be unaffected but Mikey suspected it was a front as he too felt the effects of the sedation, it made him move slower. His eyes cut up to the opening in the mesh. Joey was there, on one side of the blond winged man, Koko on the other. Mikey looked to his brother, Leo noticed - Mikey was sure of it. He cringed at how much trouble they really all were in, down one man without Raph and nearly another with how weak Don was.

The packed arena was in an uproar, particularly as two katana, wrapped in blue, a bo staff with purple accents and orange nun chucks were all pitched into the arena through the hole. "Have you anything to say before the games begin? Bring in the other!" Akira barked and Raph was brought forth, dressed in nothing but his shell. The four brothers exchanged relieved glances, a smile even flickering on Leo's face at the sight of his brother. The flight leader forced Koko to her feet and made her drop Raph's sais through the opening as well.

Joey, however, had jumped up when Akira touched the chancellor. "No..." Leo moaned solftly. He knew she wouldn't sit idly by while Koko was being punished and he, and his brothers, were put in this arena she no doubt knew about. But he also didn't want her in danger, it might be the reason he was drawn to her - the fact that she wouldn't just let things happen - but right then he wished she would.

"Back off Akira," she snapped and the whole area, no matter the number of people, had gone silent and Joey's voice was clear. Leo's hands clasped on the hilt of his swords. The sun was setting and drawing long shadows on the ground from the opening above. The Flight leader didn't like being spoken to that way, that much was clear, as he swept around on her.

"I was going to let you watch them die - but perhaps you'd like a better seat." he squawked. With a single hand, he reached out and gave Joey a hearty shove. The backs of her knees hit the railing and she pitched over the edge of the viewing box she'd been in and plummeted downward, toward the arena. It was at least a twenty-five foot drop. Leo was sure his voice opened up to shout, but he wasn't sure what he was trying to get out as time seemed to slow. Mikey and Don both moved to close the distance as if getting to Joey would make a difference, while Leo too moved to grab at her. Raph, from the other side of the arena, sprinted forward too. Tokyo, who had been in the box beside Akira, leaned over and looked down where Joey was falling. He merely sighed.

"That was a terrible idea, Akira." Tokyo commented as he signaled for the doors to be opened as not to waste anymore time.

No sooner had Tokyo's hand come down in indication for what he wanted to have happen did Joey's body come in contact with the shadow her falling body was making, closer and closer to the ground. None of the turtles were near enough to her to catch her, not that catching a body falling at that rate would be a good idea anyhow. Instead of splatting on the floor in a mess of flesh and Joey meat, she vanished into the dark spot that was her shadow. It was like it sucked her up, jumping into a pool of darkness so fast before she popped, at the same speed, out of the shadow cast at Leo's feet. The sheer amount of magic from the Corvidaethrope believers around them giving Joey's faerie magic the power to manifest at her will, to its fullest and strongest extent.

"How'd'you...wha...did you see that...?" Mikey started at her mouth agape as she breached a huge distance in her one movement. He was looking wildly around, Don's eyes widened and Leo's mouth parted half in surprise and half in panic. Though it wasn't in disbelief, it was in awe that Mikey said it. "That was so cool! Do it again, Joey! Do it again!"

"I told you," Tokyo hissed from inside the box, "that was a terrible idea."

One of the opened doors had let loose a tiger that was ready pounce on Raph. Joey winked at Mikey just as the tiger's feet sunk into the ground below it, where it was devoured by it's own shadow. It was like quick sand for how it sucked him downwards. "Cats love to chase birds right?" She grinned at Leo before sprinting forward and throwing herself into the tiger's side so they both disappeared into the shadow of the massive beast. An instant later, shrieks rang out and above black feathers started to puff up in the air as chaos broke out. The tiger was leaping up and around the different parts of the seats, chasing half morphed visiugo everywhere. Joey and Koko, a moment later, stepped out of the edge of a shadow drawn on the ground by Mikey. Joey had clearly taken a detour in her shadow jumping to collect the Asian mage.

"I can get you out of here, but you have to trust me." Joey said to them, to which Leo nodded a quick afirmative. He trusted her with his life, with all of his being. "Quickly, before they remember that we're here at all. The distraction will only last so long before they can stop the tiger." She bent low to the ground and reached into what should be solid ground but was, instead, a black void. She pulled her hand out and seemed to have the corner of the shadow - if one could hold the corner of a shadow - in her hand. She drew it the whole way up, as if turning the shadow inside out and - as she did it - made a door out of it. It stood freely, like an entrance way to nothingness.

"Wait - we have to get to the cells. I promised Tanjiro and Hani I would come back for them."

Joey urged the others through but nodded to Leo. Mikey was helping Don, having taken his arm to help him get to the 'door' in a timely manner. "I'll go with you. Raph, good to see you - in one piece and all." He merely snorted at her, shrugging his shoulders as he followed his brothers.

"Where will this lead us Joey?" Koko said as she touched Don's shell as he went through and then Mike's and then Raph's.

"The palace, you'll be safe there. We'll be right behind you. GO!" She pushed Koko through the threshold just as the shadow bled back onto the ground. A crack of lighting burned through the two mesh nets and right between Leo and Joey. It was hot and dangerous for its nature, like a storm was suddenly brewing in the arena and holding its place just above their heads. Both jumped back and away from each other just as hard, cold drops of sharp rain fell down in a wave of water. "ItsTokyo!" Joey had to shout over the sound of rolling thunder that could only mean the storm was extraordinarily close, right on top of them. "He can control nature, he has a gift for it! It'll only get worse as he gleans more from Her. We have to go now!" She shouted over the sound of the chaotic birds above and the shaking ground between them as well. She and Leo were both soaked by now, as Joey had to push sopping wet hair out of her eyes. "He won't let us leave alive if he can help it. COME ON!"


	26. Not Much Left to Do But Drown

**::Author's Note::**

_Proceed with caution...and please don't hate (or kill) the __messenger (__ie your authors). Not yet, at least. Please...any feed back you have, we'd love to hear. Really love to hear! We're a tiny bit nervous about this chapter. (Nervous and excited)_

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>**Part II  
><strong>Chapter 9:  
><span>Not Much Left to Do But Drown in Flames of Miscommunication<span>

Leo's head swiveled up and he glanced at the dark clouds inside of the arena itself. The water was coming down so hard and fast that it was already trapped up to their ankles, causing a pool in the arena. The sky didn't seem to contain a single star for how inky black it was, dotted with clouds so thick that they might as well just fall straight from the heavens. He felt Joey's hand catch his as she sloshed at top speed through the water. Their feet left a wake in the new ocean and the ground below them shook so hard that they both fell. One went in one direction and the other in another, both with the water splashing around them. Leo choked briefly as he took in a deep gulp. "We'll be fried if another bolt comes through! I need a shadow." She howled over the sound of the rain. She looked up too.

The rain was now coming heavily enough for the pool to rise to their knees, making it harder and harder to push through it. Leo caught Joey around the waist and yanked her out of the water and onto her feet, her clothes heavy and dripping on her body. "Hold on!" She howled at him. She was watching the lighting jump from cloud to cloud and the way it lit up the arena. It was like spurts of light lasting for a fraction of a second - more than enough time for the fae woman. "Do you trust me?" Joey screamed, begged almost. He was squinting from the drops that were splashing off his face and watching them as they poured down hers.

"I do! Always!" He shouted back, barely able to hear himself over the clap of thunder.

"Then close your eyes and pray, damn it!" She bellowed back. He did as she said, without question. Joey looked upwards just as the sky lit up and, as a result,the ground was blanketed in light. Scary shadows flicked in and out of life, created by the crackling lightening bolt. She was counting on one shadow - her own. She squeezed tight to him. It was like the first time he went directly into the Dreaming with her, just as disorienting. He felt his stomach turn inside out but this time it ended quickly. He didn't even feel the need to empty his stomach. There was no more water and as his eyes batted open, he found that he was in the narrow passageway that led to the cells. She had transported them, though Leo didn't fully understand the logistics, straight through from one shadow to another.

Leo was still partly drugged but certainly able to fight as adrenaline coursed through his veins, burning the sedative quickly from his blood stream. He swung around. The door was still securely closed, but he could hear the rumble of thunder and pelting rain drops beyond. Joey grabbed his hand and sprinted in a second, not at all concerned if he wasn't ready to move that quickly. "RUN! If those doors open, we _are _fucked! We'll drown. And it won't take long for Tokyo to find us. Besides, these tunnels must be guarded too. Yep!" she braked just as a dart whizzed passed her head and she twisted just in time to narrowly avoid being pegged in the face with it.

Leo's katana breezed through the air, unsheathed so fast it was entirely missed that he had even moved to grab it. It made a wicked whistle as it cut across vacant space until it sliced cleanly through the dart that had nearly gotten Joey. In a fluid motion, he jumped from his spot and used the wall as a spring board. He unsheathed his second katana and pushed from the surface of the wall to bound in front of Joey. With a flurry of sliver swords, Leo's weapons chopped at the blow gun of the Corvidaethrope who was tucked in the corner and set to attack them. With the butt of his weapon, he smacked the birdman with all of his force, knocking him out in one smooth motion. His body crumpled to the floor and Leo turned, reaching out for Joey's hand.

There was a sly little smile on her face as she rushed forward and scooped up his offered hand. "Man, you're good. You some kinda ninja, hot shot? I'm impressed," she teased.

Leo didn't comment. He was focused and practically dragged her down the hall, though her quick feet moved to keep up. It was gross and smelly with dried blood and other bodily fluids, like a cell. The only thing that perhaps surpassed it in disgust was the vampire club, though it came at a close second. His ever present dedication to detail kept his keen attention on their surroundings, just in case another guard was upon them. "Did you know about Shiki and Daichi?" he asked sharply, not looking back to her as he spoke.

"What? What about them?" She peeked around a corner and he tugged her back behind him. She offered him a challenging glare. "Whoa - hey hot shot, I'm good. I got this. Worry about you, not me."

"Let me have this moment, Joey." He answered her simply and honestly. "It'll ease me if you just stay behind me where I can know you are safe."

Joey held her head high, as if she were about to protest, but upon consideration, she merely nodded. "Just this once." She told him firmly and he thanked her with a nod of his own.

He still had one katana gripped in his hand, the other sheathed so that he could hold her hand for the moment. "The fact that they ran, that they both escaped this place and rather than coming to save others and make a change, they abandoned them. People that needed them. That Daichi was supposed to lead them and yet he ran?" He breathed out as he peeked around the corner just as she had. His breath was quick as he spoke, distracted and focused on the dangers. His head snapped back and a dart breezed passed. Leo so narrowly missed it that the point of it sliced through one tail of his bandana. The severed piece of blue fabric fluttered gracefully to the floor. Joey watched it. It looked peaceful; particularly in lieu of what was about to come, both in words and action. She could feel a storm brewing in her spirit - not unlike the one Tokyo created around them - and it originated at Leo's both backhanded and misinterpreted, in her opinion, series of thought.

"Yeah, I knew about that." She scooped up the piece of his fallen bandana and tied it swiftly around her wrist. She opened her mouth to speak more just as it sounded like the doors finally burst open. The pressure of the water must have been too much and smacked them free while thunder now roared down the tunnel.

"COWARDS!" Leo, in the heat of his adrenaline stricken mind, bellowed while gritting his teeth. He shot out around the corner and she heard his katana meet metal. In an instant, one of the trained Corvidaethrope sprang out as Leo had given him a hearty shove backward. Joey immediately jumped to action. She bent and scooped up the edge of the nearest shadow, as if peeling it from the wall and jerked it up over the winged man's head. The blanket of darkness descended back to it's two-dimensional purpose, but not without absorbing the man as it did so. "Where did he go?" Leo asked, his arms dropping to his sides.

"It's not important. He won't be bothering us right now. That's all that matters. They weren't cowards." She said pushing him down the hall quickly, away from where she knew Tokyo had broken down the doors. "Whatever you heard is probably only half the story and not at all what you think. Even if you did hear the whole story, you have no right to call them cowards. Is nothing sacred to you!" The snap in her voice was clear, even if it was masked in a gentler tone, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Perhaps because he didn't think she had any reason to be offended or irritated with him for his opinion on the matter.

"What are you talking about - they _ran_! These people needed them, they had only hope in them, in Daichi. I looked up to Daichi for what? To try to emulate a coward? What's sacred about that, Joey?" He hissed back, as she pressed her back to his just as two birdmen came from either side. Joey's heart was pounding in her chest, from the thrill of the fight but also from the aching fear that shot through her. Leo was just as riled up. The tale that still gave these people hope, the one told by those he'd sat with, left him floundering for answers and wondering why the two he thought so noble seemed as cowardly as the rest. It seemed as if most of the world wished to tuck their tails in and two he had thought were strong enough to stand straight only hid themselves too.

"As you _should_!" She ducked and barked for him to do the same, which he did, just as a dart few over their heads. "He's to be admired for what he sacrificed. Just as Shiki is. They have love, Leo. Some things are more important. Did it ever occur to you that they have a new Flight? One in the US that's not built on mistrust and fucking villainy? Did it cross your mind that their lives _are_ focused on the future?" They both ducked again in the same instant to avoid more darts. "Their children, Leo. Ami, their little girl thinks Daichi just hung the moon! And Lucky...well little Lucky is a spitfire. Full of hellfire and passion. What kind of lives do you think they'd have here? Good ones? How about the Corvidaethrope women - have you seen one? NO! That's because they're used for breeding - _raba_- they call them. YES Leo, mules! They call them mules. So Lucky might have a shot because he'll grow up to be a man. But what kind of a life would that be for Ami? Even if Daichi took his place it would take YEARS to rebuild and even then with all the conspiracy and intrigue in this fucking place, he would probably be assassinated before he could make change. Just like Akira's father - it was NO accident that he died unexpectedly. And Shiki! Shiki matters more to him than anything. ANYTHING. Love changed his life, his view point. Why can't you see that? Who are you to judge them for it? Furthermore they've helped you and your family."

They were still fighting the Corvidaethrope, one having dropped down from a series of complicated vines that made the ceiling. Joey was pitched forward as Leo leaned back against her as one came from overhead. Joey caught herself only by diving into her own shadow. His head snapped around to make sure she was okay, as he worried when he'd pushed her unintentionally. She popped out of the shadow of the Corvidaethrope who was attacking Leo. He was fighting him off with his katana, though his eyes ablaze with more than just the passion of a good fight. As a result, Joey landed directly on the raven's back, right between his wings. He flailed momentarily, trying to reach her and his wings beat but only succeeding in throwing him off balance so he looked like a wounded bird with a broken wing. It also gave Leo a chance to throw himself into the fight entirely. His swords expertly sliced at the failing wings, separating them from their owner completely. Two flat and fluffy feathered wings dropped to the floor, having been decapitated at their very root. With a perfectly placed kick, he knocked all the wind and consciousness from the birdman. He reached down instantly and pulled Joey to her feet as she was still straddling the man's back.

"Who says he couldn't have had Shiki still? These things, his kids and his so called future, they happened after he left - what about about before? When he could have at least tried to make a difference and therefore his death be noble for his bravery. Instead, he abandoned a group of people when they needed him - his people! Shiki be damned, perhaps had he considered the lives of the many, there wouldn't be blood caked on these walls. Maybe I wouldn't be under their tyranny, or Raph, or Don - Mikey or even YOU if Daichi had taken his rightful place. We wouldn't have almost died because of his selfishness!" Leo snapped at her, his hand falling away from hers as his eyes searched expertly at the veins for more attackers.

"And what makes you think that without Shiki he'd be the man you know today?" She shot back instantly. "Daichi is only who Daichi is because of Shiki! If Shiki be damned, then Daichi too! If they weren't there - where would Raph be instead? Shiki kept him alive where Payton couldn't. What would have happened on that roof top? Daichi kept Kenshin at bay while we fought Elisa. They've been there, for US, the entire time!" She was puffing angrily at him, her eyes dark and narrowed in on him. He too was heaving at his chest, facing her while his katanas were gripped tight in his hands. They never seemed more at odds than they did in that moment; yet oddly harmonic for their fluid combined fighting efforts. "That's all this is to you isn't it? All about leading and scraping by through life but never really _living _it. What the hell do you think Master Splinter has been trying to teach you all these years?"

Leo's nostrils flared at her mere mention of his lessons, of what he was meant to learn and the insinuation that he had failed to learn them properly. "How to be a good leader! That's what. How to put aside what I feel so that I may better see the good for others. To be able to take on the impossible and lead through it, without fear and without cowardice. Without quitting! To make the right decision for everyone. To look out for my family, not to think only of myself!"

"YES! Yes, Leo, your family. What makes you think that they aren't doing the same thing?"

Leo sucked in a breath. He couldn't be sure where this got so personal for him, but no part of him was willing to back down no matter how hard she fought back or how red in the face she became. In fact, he was merely angrier and more riled up with each of her words as he could not see why she didn't understand how important it was to protect these people - to protect those that needed it most. It was ingrained in his very person to do so and the mere idea that anyone with so much power and capability as Yoshida Daichi had then would throw it all away for something so selfish was hard for him to grasp as he had never had such a reason to be that selfish himself. At least, that he was fully aware of. The hall was eerily quiet save their voices, echoing against the thick branches that made the walls and ceiling.

"This Flight was meant to be his family. He left them to make one that was artificial. Life is not meant to be perfect and you can't just run and hide from it's imperfections, Joey! You have to face them, no matter how difficult and dangerous! They were meant to be the ones he looked out for."

"Under Akira father's rule! If he could have it his way - did it ever occur to anyone to ask Daichi, that orphan who accidentally killed a boy when his raven spirit broke free, what he wanted? Did anyone think that maybe **HE **didn't want to be a leader, that he wasn't cut out for it? Did anyone just ask? Shiki did." Joey leaned forward a little as she shouted, pushing against his plastron with the force of her anger at him. "Daichi did some terrible things when he was part of the flight because he had no direction and he was following orders. He didn't have a moral compass until he met Shiki. Love Leo, it changes people. He was empty." Her shouts had turned into violent pleas as her voice cracked, her face contorted in a desperate attempt to get him to see reason. Her reason, her view point. "Why does everything have to be about a greater good? When does Leo get to live for Leo?"

"I don't have time for _Leo_!" The turtle roared in an instant, the words vibrating violently in his throat. Inside, somewhere Leo understood what she meant and he couldn't bear the thought of it. He knew what he wanted, that part of him was dying for a slice of normalcy. Where they weren't fight all the time, where he could be happy and comfortable...where he could hide too. He knew she was asking to be that person for him, but he knew he couldn't let her. As much as he wanted that life with her, to be happy in the way that Daichi and Shiki had managed to find in a world of just misery, he couldn't. He couldn't marry her, he couldn't produce children - he couldn't hold her hand and walk through the park with her on a bright, beautiful day. He had nothing she needed, nothing she should want. As a result, feeling his own inadequacy, he bit back harder. Because as selfish as he wanted to be, that selfishness was unfair for Joey and, in the end, would give her nothing but a sub-par life and love. If it could be called a life at all. In all of it, like young Daichi, he never thought to simply ask her what she wanted.

"So none of this is about you and your hang ups? Its about your duties? And your obligations?" She asked briskly. "Because Leo, you're a moron if you think that those things are more important. Sometimes it's not about just you and it's not selfish to give yourself so much to another person that you'd die for them. What about their world? What about the world you've changed for one person, can't that matter more than the world you changed for a thousand? I thought I knew you better than that. I thought you could care for one person, enough to give your heart and soul to them, more than you care about being the hero. I guess...I'm glad I learned something about where your priorities lie."

"Ahh Kame-san!" Tanjiro's voice rang out before Leo could speak. His eyes were staring down at Joey, throat closed and his body unable to move for how hard she had hit his heart. He felt like he couldn't breathe and for a moment, nothing existed but the look - the sheer look of disappointment - on her pretty face. Foot falls thundered through the hall, clearly coming from the more excitable inmate he had met earlier that day. "You did come back! Just like you promised. The prisoners, they've broken free - it's chaos. Come! Come quick. We're escaping." He reached forward to grab Leo's arm and even waved Joey forward. Leo barely budged, unable to tear his eyes away from Joey's face. He managed to part his lips to utter her name, though he couldn't get the words to translate to sounds from his brain.

"Oh no...you've put a wrinkle in my day." Tokyo's smooth, yet emotionless voice cut in just as bolt of lightning cut through the hallway. Leo's reflexes were off, no part of him could move or consider fighting as he had no focus left to give on his surroundings. In a moment of his stunned weakness, the bolt struck Leo's shoulder. He let out a horrid howl and the pain sent him immediately to his knees, his katana clattering to the floor. "You're first." Tokyo said to Leo. A silver dagger in his hand glinted as he strolled down the hall's length. Joey had swung to face Leo when the lighting lit the room. Tanjiro scrambled back, clearly frightened by the danger. Once more it seemed as if time moved at an impossibly slow pace. Leo's head came up, but his body was weak from the shock of electricity still coursing through him. There was blood gushing from a blackened slice on the thick of his arm where the lighting stuck and ripped clean through his flesh. It burned like rubber, so deeply that it bubbled in places with dead flesh, though stained crimson from the flowing blood.

"NO!" Joey snapped, as Tokyo moved. In a sickly swift movement, he drove to dig the dagger into the incapacitated Leo. Her slender body barely slipped between the two, Leo still kneeling on the ground as he clutched his arm. There was a moment of stillness just as Hani had found Tanjiro and Leo's mouth dropped open to shout at her to move. Joey's eyes were settled on him - for a moment they stared at one another and he couldn't help but feel terror and agony for the inevitably of what he was certain she meant to do. It was from the right side of her belly that the point of Tokyo's blade protruded, dripping bits of her blood from the point. She managed blinking a single time. A smile, sly and lazy, crossed her suddenly tired face. "You're a dangerous turtle to know." She choked on the bored laugh she tried to offer him. Instead, her eyes fluttered shut and he barely caught her with his good arm as she slipped off from Tokyo's dagger.

"Joey..." he mumbled, a crack in his voice as she slipped from his arms into a pile on the ground. He couldn't hold her up, his body weak from the electricity and half limp from the severed nerves and muscles. He was staring at her, mouth slack and his body numb for how little he felt - and yet how much he did in the same instance.

"You were supposed to be first." Tokyo hissed at Leo, his voice raising a little more than an octave in his irritation. Leo's eyes slowly flickered up, rimmed in the shadow of his hatred and anger towards this singular man. This dictator - this monster. His body still hurt and it was difficult to move. The leader, however, pulled himself to a standing position. A new sensation having captured him, filled him as it was Joey's bloody body that gave him a sense of purpose. He didn't waste time with words. His katana moved, as an extension of his rage - of his fear - of his broken heart. Joey, lying still behind him, had not heard what he wanted her to know. What he had felt and why his anger was fueled by the fact that he felt so inadequate, so unable to give her the love she deserved. She might die never knowing that she was loved enough, to be picked over the whole - that love, her love, had taught him something. She had changed his world, the world of one, and for it he wanted nothing more than to change hers too. He wanted her to know that she made him a person he wasn't on his own.

She was, in essence, his Shiki. If Joey be damned, then Leo be damned too.

It was with blind ferocity that Tokyo, unsuspecting at Leo's sudden burst of power, was pinned to the wall though the thickness of his feathers with one katana, the other under his chin in a matter of seconds. "If my Joey dies...I will be back for you." His eyes narrowed in on the raven, his voice calm and even though all the more threatening for it. In a swift motion, Leo nicked Tokyo's neck. In an instant, and with the proper jabs to the appropriate places, Leo's life of training had brought Tokyo to his knees and then unconscious at his feet.

His katanas dropped, the pain in his arm negligible still as his body had yet to really recognize how badly hurt he was. Instead, he slipped them back and spun around to find Joey. It was when he spotted her, where Hani had gathered her up in his arms, that he sprang forward. "NO!" Leo demanded, covering the distance quickly. It took all his effort not to forcefully push the slender birdman away. "No! I'll carry her!" With the rage drifting away, despair was filling Leo fast as Joey's body hung limp and lifeless in Hani's arms.

"She's the fae - the one responsible for killing Kenshin's rival a few years ago, ne? Bastian. I understand his henchmen took over, Elizabeth and Cassius but she destroyed the first empire and shattered the clan...ne? She did many good things for Japan...I can't believe..." Tanjiro trailed as Hani obliged, carefully placing Joey on the ground. Leo, however, merely nodded. He didn't want to give rise to the end of Tanjiro's sentence, not with the mere implication of what he had to say about her and the legend of the things Joey did for the magic world. The good of the people - just as he had been preaching. But when, he wondered, did Joey get to live for Joey too? That's what she did with him...and he knew, even as he shouted at her, he did the same because of her.

Leo's lame arm was hanging at his side and he only realized how damaged it was as he tried to scoop Joey up. He managed to get her off the ground a little but was unable to really hold her steadily and had to haphazardly drop her. He mumbled a thank you to Hani, who had rushed forward to help keep her from spilling all over the ground. Her tiny body was too much for his body to take. He sank down by her side. "I'm...so sorry Joey. I...I didn't meant to hurt you, I didn't mean to bring this danger to you. I failed you, even now. Please don't die." He felt himself choke slightly on his words as the lump in this throat took over. He reached out and touched her dark hair, stroking it lightly with his free hand. "I didn't want to fight with you. You're...you're worth it for me. You are my world, you are the one that makes me selfish. You weren't supposed to die for me. I don't even know if I got to tell her that I love her." Leo looked helplessly up to the birdmen.

Hani's hand came sympathetically on Leo's shoulder. "Then tell her now." Hani encouraged and Leo stared for a moment before his eyes fell back to Joey. He drew in a deep breath before he bent forward. His lips barely graced the surface of her forehead, so warm still but her eyes still closed. It was softly that he uttered the words, "I love you, Joey", against the skin of her forehead before he sat back on his heels.

"Those who are loved rarely forget." Hani added knowingly, his hand still resting on Leo's shoulder. "Please, let me carry her. We must go - quickly. We are standing in a ticking time bomb, at any moment we may be under siege. Come...please, Kame-san."

"Do you know the way to the palace?" He asked softly, the question feeling empty in his throat as it felt so unimportant when Joey lay before him.

"Yes! We can fly you there. Come on! Climb on." Tanjiro leaned over and helped tug Leo onto his back.

What was a two day trek by foot through harsh terrain turned into a two hour flight straight down the mountain. The whole while, Leo watched Joey in Hani's arms, while he rode between Tanjiro's wings, hanging on by one good arm. If she wasn't dead before, she would be by the time they got to palace, Leo was sure of it. The blood pooled all across her shirt, saturating the whole of it and bleeding out because of the water. She had taken the whole of the knife in his place, and blood was even dripping from Hani's fingertips.

Something, however, caught his eye. Her arm, hyper extended and dangling out of Hani's grasp, had a bit of blue sash tied around it. A bit of him that she had taken for her own before his affection for her was in question. For it, he was grateful. Though she wasn't conscious to remove it or to make that decision, it seemed as if she wanted it there. She had put it there after all - the little piece of him that she could keep with her all the time. If she died with it on then she would take it with her, just like he wished she could take all of his spirit or perhaps it could be enough just to give her the strength to hold on a little while longer for something worthwhile. For them.

For love.


	27. I'm So Sorry for So Many Things

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>**Part II  
><strong>Chapter 10:  
><span>I'm So Sorry for So Many Things<span>

"Leo..." Don was the first to see his brother, having spotted him from a balcony high in the mage palace. Being built into the side of a mountain gave the royal family an advantage that a ground strong hold might not. The only way to get to the palace was by one road or the skies. That was how Don saw the two winged men flying with bodies, like little specs of dust in the wind that slowly grew larger and more ominous for it. It was, as he sprinted to the atrium, that lead to the main front door, that he wondered why Joey had not brought them as she had opened a shadow-door for he, Raph, Mikey and Koko. The time that had passed - in which Raph was being patched up by Koko as Mikey looked on with adoring eyes - concerned Don. Far too long for a rescue mission that ultimately should have been effortless.

"LEO!" He shouted as two massive guards threw the doors open and the two Corax men entered the palace. Their wings flapped easily as they glided to the ground - it was inspirational for how graceful their landings were. The looming shadows, however, that hung over both Leo and Joey's bodies because of their extended wings were perhaps the most terrifying sight. Don had not noticed Kisho, the emperor, arrive too. Don reached up for Leo and the leader took his brother's help to slide off from Tanjiro's back. He was holding to his arm, his entire side clearly limp as his shoulder sloped downward some in his injury. "You're hurt." Don commented and before he could ask about Joey, Leo shook his head to stop him.

"Never mind me. I'll live, I always do. Joey. Take Joey." He demanded of Don, his eyes ablaze with an emotion - perhaps a slew of them - that Don had never quite seen before. He was not merely Leo, his brother and his leader. He was Leo, terrified and worried and impatient in that gaze. Leo then looked to Kisho with pleading eyes, begging him to fix the damage he was already blaming himself for. "Is she..." Leo's voice trailed off, choking on the words as he had blocked out the implication hours before.

Kisho had already closed the distance, his feet moving in soft pats against the floor. So soft, they seemed undetectable. He offered a bow to Hani and Hani to the emperor, both in respectful and traditional fashion. "Thank you, Hani-san. We are at your mercy, thank you." Kisho said softly, clearly knowing the man even by name, as the lean bird bent to the ground with Joey in his arms. He did not immediately answer Leo's question as, right then, he didn't have much of an answer to give. Don was standing a little behind Leo with wide, horrified and unblinking eyes. He had never seen so much blood soaking such a tiny body.

"Leo..." Don mumbled, reaching out to touch his uninjured arm. He didn't need to see this, it was clear that it was effecting him as Leo's eyes had grown big and wet from tears that threatened to spill over the edge.

The blue clad turtle brushed Don's hand from his shoulder, almost sharply in his desperate attempt to dismiss him and his attempt to turn Leo away. It was in the compassionate scientist to place it there, to help Leo and later he would feel guilty for his rudeness. For now, he was merely focused on his world, crumbling to seemingly unsalvageable pieces. "Kisho..." Leo pleaded again, his voice cracking some as his eye lids where lined with heavy, bulbous drops.

"No." The emperor looked up from where he was kneeling. His hand, which had been placed lightly on the side of Joey's face and against her neck, was dirtied with blood. He sat back on his heels and sighed softly. "She lives, only just and perhaps for only now. She is fighting with all her might, as I have always known Joey Hoxie to. Hani - please." Kisho gestured to the tall man. Leo hesitated in his spot, wanting to stop Hani again as he scooped up Joey in her limp, unconscious form. But it was as he moved and pain shot up his arm that he was reminded, again, of the inadequacies of his being. That is, the parts of him so useless to Joey as he was not even able to lift her to safety. Therefore he bowed his head in shame and with that Hani and Kisho gone, with Joey's body.

"What happened?" Don's voice was almost in a frantic panic directly at Leo, though quiet in nature as he didn't know exactly how Leo might take such a question. The leader didn't turn back to his brother - his eyes merely narrowed. "She's a fighter, Leo. If anyone can pull through, it's Joey."

That terrified Leo too. When he saw her again, would she still be his or had he ruined her perception of him to a point of it's being unsalvageable? He knew the words he'd said were cutting and he'd meant to hurt her and he was sure that he had. Yet she still threw herself between him and that dagger. She was willing to die for him. When he fought with Raph his intention was always to go for the fastest point of attack, verbally or physically. He had acted the same with Joey and she, like Raph, attacked back. But he couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't doing it just for sport as Raph often did. The last thing he wanted was to lose her respect. After all, she had all of his. Yet he was left wondering if he could offer her what she wanted, what she asked for. He wasn't even sure he knew what she wanted. He hoped to ask.

He turned back to Don and clapped him on the shoulder. "Yeah, Don. I know." he managed saying but it was without much conviction that those words fell from his mouth. In fact, he felt numb and dead inside himself, among all his strong emotions. He saw Don's eyes, still unblinking, cut to his mangled arm. "Tokyo." Leo said simply, as if that would answer everything. And in many ways, it really did.

Both Don and Leo looked up as they heard a new pair of footsteps. Hani had returned. "Come." He merely said to Leo, who wanted to ask how Joey was - even if it had only been minutes. He wanted to ask to see her one more time but he bit back the urge and nodded to Don before following the narrow framed, wispy haired man. Leo didn't really see where he was being led. In fact his attention, was entirely off and he half didn't care right then. It was dangerous for him as Hani could lead them to their doom, and Leo would be none the wiser until they were knee deep in trouble. It was Joey that gave him that muddled mind, Joey that had such a power over him. Joey that meant so much that she could easily steal every bit of his focus.

"Kisho is good with this sort of thing. Furthermore, he has access to the best healers in Japan's magical community. He will do his best. And I, with your permission, will tend to your wounds. Please, sit." He said after having guided Leo into an adjacent room where a fountain pooled straight up from the ground into the center of the room. Everything in the palace was beautiful, truly fit for kings and queens - or the empress and emperor. There were two little cushions for them to kneel on. Leo bowed and sank to his knees. aside the fountain where Hani indicated. "I am a friend of the Yamadas. It must be confusing as my kind is normally not welcome here. They will accept Tanjiro as he came with me. Give me our arm." Hani moved with grace, just as Kisho, as if he were an extension of the very water he dipped his hand into. Leo, for as good as he was at what he did, felt his own finesse was challenged just by being beside a man as nimble as Hani.

The water was cool and though it stung Leo showed none of the pain he felt, when Hani tipped his head to the side and let the water cupped in his hand pour down the gaping wound on Leo's arm. Leo could feel his fingers on the underside of his bicep, holding his arm lightly as he poured several handfuls over it. "The water has healing properties you see." Hani explained as the darkened edges of Leo's charred flesh pulled down around the wound as if reconstructing cells were working overtime and a week's worth of healing appeared in minutes. "It will not entirely fix you, but it will certainly give you a much needed jumpstart." He brushed his fingers over the mangled flesh.

"It will heal, in time. Like your heart. I wasn't there to hear what hurt you so but I know what the lost of a loved one means. I know not if she will make it. She is strong though, know that. I knew Josephine Hoxie when she lived in Japan sometime ago. She taught me something about myself that I didn't know before. I had a mate and a nest, but she showed me what it means to find inner strength after she saved my mate from life as doll. I too am a target for the vampires, you see. She killed Bastian, a reigning prince, for me and Yuki-san. I heard that Elisabeth Penn, the dominating leader who took over in Bastian's stead turn him out of spite and envy. You love her, this I know. And I find it unlikely that she would let you love her alone. Therefore she must love you in return. As I told you earlier, those who are loved rarely forget." He was the softest man Leo had ever met.

The leader watched as Hani wrapped his arm, carefully and with expert skill in what appeared to be a hand woven gauze, like that of which Shiki used to wrap across Daichi's nose. That same gauze had once rested around Joey's neck where her throat had been nearly torn to shreds. "He's not a coward. I wish...I wish I knew more." Leo spoke softly, regret laden in his voice.

"Who isn't?" Hani looked up, confused.

"Daichi-san." For a moment, the name burned on Leo's lips. As if he had uttered a name he didn't deserve to utter, a concept that he ought to have realized long before his Joey lay unconscious.

"A coward? No." Hani agreed, smoothing out the bandage carefully. The protection felt good, as if perhaps he could move his arm now that there was some sort of support where his muscles had failed him.

"He's alive you know - and Shiki. They live in the US. I've met them."

A soft smile crossed Hani's face and it's honesty wrinkled the corners of his eyes. "Hai, I know. I quite admire them actually. I don't fault them for leaving. The corruption here would have poisoned them too. But both were strong enough to defeat that poison by shedding it altogether. Daichi did want to lead the Flight, just not this one. This Flight enjoys it's misery. Instead he wanted to be part of one in which he could make a difference, not one on which he would merely feed the problem. As I understand Shiki is their healer and Daichi their protector; they are part of the Flight leaders in the US. A Flight that isn't run by a dictatorship but a host of visionaries - the head of which is a woman. You should ask them about it, next time you see them Kame-san. How does your arm feel? Is the bandage tight enough?"

Leo gave his arm a passing glance. "Yes, thank you Hani-san." the turtle bowed to the black winged man. However, it was then, that Leo noticed he had no wings at all. He was still shirtless but his wings had been retracted into his back, giving the illusion that he was entirely human.

"Daichi-san told me once, in a letter, that he wished with all of his heart that the Flight would grow and see the things that we have seen, learn the lessons that we have learned. He expressed his deep concern for them and claimed that he wished he could return and create a better Japan for the Flight. He was prepared to take the throne. However, he would not do it with violence. He said enough blood had been shed and he'd die before he'd see another drop spilled at his hands. Unfortunately that is the only way any of these men respond. It would take many lives for him be what the Flight need and that revolution has to come from within, from the whole flight - not from the few leading it. From people like me and Tanjiro; from all of us as a body, not one man. But that one man's spirit and his story are what drives us to a better future. We don't need the man, just the ideal and the hope. It's why I've never told anyone that I have met the legend that lives in the heart of those of us fighting for a brighter tomorrow. It will still be Daichi that leads us there, just in a way that Akira's father did not intend." Leo's head bowed, the whole picture was so much clearer now and he understood that Daichi was still leading them, even to this day, and the young Asian man, father and lover, knew that even from thousands of miles away.

"You asked about turtle visiugo in the cells. I know of none other than the Corvidaethrope. However, if you live in the US, there is a man - doctor Lionel. Payton is his given name I believe, works with visiugo. He might be able to tell you if any known ones live. I imaging they would look much like you in their blended form, as I do when my wings are extracted. Or Joey, she might know - she is quite worldly. She has been many places and lived many things for a person with so few years. There are many double her age who have not seen the things she has."

Leo's head only sank further at Hani's words. But he was determined to do just that, the second she woke up. He was done thinking about 'if' and had decided it would be 'when' instead.

* * *

><p>It started with his body, a body that wasn't even there now, but Raph oddly felt the need to be there; to pay his respects to the man who had brought them to this life, and one he had never met in life. Miaroyu Shintato, Mia - blood doll to Kenshin Miyagi. Raph realized as the family had arrived that he was not just a body and he shouldn't blame him for having dragged he and his brothers into this mess. Mia was a son, brother, lover and father. The ten year old boy that stood by his mother had never met the man who existed before the addict. Each and every doll existed as a living being before being pulled into the life-crushing addiction that came from vampire blood. It was a reminder to Raph how dangerous it was; he vowed never to be that weak, for his own sake as he couldn't lose his family. Not like Mia had lost his. His parents stood close to one another, clearly close and broken hearted. Raph was even sure he'd heard Mia's father say something about wishing they could have stopped him.<p>

Koko was helping Mikey tie a fresh and newly made orange bandanna around his face with careful precision. Mikey was as still as he could be, clearly smitten with her as she was so close to his face. "I made this for you." She said politely and Mikey tried to hold back the smile that wanted to burst across his face. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, making him 'eep' in excitement. "You have been very kind to me, Mikey-san. Thank you. Your misbegotten attention to me has not gone unnoticed and I appreciate your flattery. Should we have lived different lives I would certainly receive them more openly."

Mikey looked up at her, slightly confused. "Should I be bracing myself for the shoot down then? 'Cause it sorta sounds like it, Koko. Chan." He added for good measure. There was a note of sadness in his tone as he suspected the worst and wanted to moan out a quick 'bogus', but he refrained from doing so.

"Ah, it's not a 'shoot down' as you call it. Were I free, I would consider your spirit and chivalry charming for a potential significant other. But you see, my heart belongs to another. I'm married, Mikey. Hiroto-san, there," she pointed to a group standing together, a ways off, in the large room. Mikey blinked hard, stunned by the news as he hadn't even considered the possibility she was taken. "There is my husband. He beat you only in time by being there first. You, however, should not take it as a...ahhh, shoot down. I was certainly charmed by you. You will make someone happy, someday. It is near impossible to be sad when you smile as much as you do. Come, meet my family, mother and father, brother and sister. There were four of us once, but now we are three."

"Sister!" Mikey perked - he was certainly disappointed but it was a crush he could get over. Had he loved her in some way, even the beginnings of love, perhaps it would be a different story. Raph's hand collided with the back of his bald skull. "Ow!" he moaned.

"Don't even think about it, Mikey." His brother warned gruffly.

Koko merely laughed at their interaction as Mikey rubbed at the tender spot. "Hai Mikey-san, my sister. But be warned. She's feisty. Good luck and happy hunting." Koko teased him as she peeled away to reunite with her family, her hand slipping into that of a small Japanese man. Mikey watched them exchange a brief look of adoration for one another. He sighed inwardly both happy for them and disappointed, but not enough to distract him from the fact that, while they were there, he could get to know this sister.

* * *

><p>It had been three days since Leo and Joey returned on Corvidaethrope wings to the palace of Kisho Yamada and his wife, Zira. Three days since Leo had really slept and three whole days since he had spoken to anyone in more than just one or two word 'sentences'. Most of the time he spent meditating. It was that very morning that Kisho had let Leo see Joey. Before that, he was too preoccupied about her fragile fae nature. "I am more concerned now about the magical spirit abandoning her host body than her body's survival. Trauma like this can both create a fae and destroy it...magic is a fragile matter already and she is but the embodiment of it. She would never be the same if her magic abandoned her. You wouldn't even recognize her should that be the case - it's a fate far worse than death. But I've stabilized her and she's asked for you."<p>

Leo nodded. It had, for those three days, taken all of his efforts not to fight with Kisho on the matter and simply throw the doors open and get to her. He had asked if she was awake yet many times, some of the few words he did speak. When Kisho had told him yes, the day before, Leo had immediately asked to see her. But Kisho had still told him no, insisting that he stay away. Leo didn't even know which room of the very large palace she was in and even if he did, he didn't want to cause her more danger by being there. He had to trust that Kisho had reason to keep him away. She was with other fae who could, inadvertently, feed her fae spirit's wounded nature.

"I don't understand. It was a physical wound that hurt her - not a magical one." Leo had responded.

"Yes, and physical pain hurts the spirit as much as any other. It's a matter of hope and not helplessness that it recovers. Joey needed hope not simply from those that cared for her, but other fae who could believe in it as blindly as fae believe in everything. I have faith that she will recover, but I make no promises." Kisho had answered.

Those words hung in Leo's mind as he stood at Joey's door, after having been led there. He knew there was more to it than that and he feared that part of her slower recovery was his fault, for denying that love could matter that much. Love was an emotion that he just had to believe in, he couldn't quantify it. Fae were, at their core, very loving beings as it meant just wholly throwing oneself to illogical emotion. He was certain their fight had contributed for the mere fact that he hadn't been so receptive to what she already accepted. Love. He bowed his head and took in a long and deep breath. He passed through the door silently, sliding it shut behind him, and she was sitting up on a futon mat on the floor.

"Hey." She brightened at seeing him, the whole of her face growing happier. He couldn't help but smile a little. He wished for a moment that he could have met the fae that were with her as she got better, to thank them. Furthermore he'd never met any other fae, only Joey. "Turns out Tokyo has a sucky aim or I've got a great one. He missed all my vitals, punctured mostly fleshy Joey meat. Can't get rid of me that easily eh? I'm like a cockroach, I bite back when you step on me." She winched a little when she offered a little laugh. Her spirit seemed fully intact to him and that brought about a sigh of relief, even if she looked a little gaunt and tired. Her voice didn't have the same force but certainly the same snap as she spoke. "Besides, as I see it - I still owe Raph a rescue."

"Raph?" Leo asked, approaching her bed side and sinking to his knees next to her. He placed his hands against his thighs, confused for a moment. He wondered if the lose of blood had effected her brain and perhaps she had forgotten all that had happened at the arena. "Raph's fine, he's with us - remember? You saved him, you brought him back here."

She nodded once, smiling softly. "Yeah, I know that - but he's still cursed, Elisa's a bitch. You know? And Kenshin will be looking for his pet again, particularly after the birdies stole him. We're no where near finished yet. You so just can't get me to go away, huh hot shot?"

"I don't want you to." Leo answered swiftly, too swiftly, before his head sank down so far that his chin was pressed to his plastron. He didn't find the humor in her teasing right then has he really didn't want her to go away, regardless if they were safe and sound from all the dangers they had picked up along the way. "I failed you, Joey" He spoke softly. "For it I'm sorry, but I never wanted you to go. I always wanted you right here, by my side. I find myself lost when you aren't and I cannot stop concerning myself with your safety, when I don't know you are safe. Is it too late?"

Her dark eyebrow arched on her forehead, though Leo wasn't looking at her to see the confusion on her face. He only heard it in her voice. "Too late for what? How did you fail?"

"For me to tell you that I understand now. I failed by...by letting you almost die before I could understand what you were trying to tell me; what you've always been trying to show me. I've never been in love before, Joey. It's not every day this happens to me. People spend their lives looking for love, I wasn't given the luxury to browse. Therefore the mere fact that I have it and I've been given the chance to give it back, it consumes me. I've never known it's power nor its passion. Until I met you and even then my perspective of it was veiled until - well, until you almost weren't there anymore. Until I was going to lose you and I realized that I'm not okay with that. I can't marry you, nor can I bring you a family. I can't even walk outside with you. But those things, I wish I could do them because you deserve them - because I deserve them too. But at the end of the day, I can't...but I still want you."

He had been speaking quickly, as the thoughts formulated in his head and spilled from his mouth. He had three days worth of meditation to realize all that he had, of which came down to the fact that his life had an importance to him. Not just the lives of others, not just those he cared about - but his own life. And a quality in that life came from more than just honor and service. It came from feeling something, anything, simply because he could. But Joey reached out and pushed his chin up with her finger tips, forcing his eyes to face her. "Hey - ya wanna stop for just a minute? People fight Leo, they just do. We'd be in far worse shape if you didn't piss me off sometimes and I pissed you off too. They say things they don't always mean - including me. Including you. I wasn't ever ready to give up on you, not even as you made me scream at the top of my lungs. If you thought that was the case, you're a moron - if I cared so little as to give up so fast, there was nothing worth fighting for in the first place. Hell I took a blade for you, that's saying something. Even after we got in a fight. You're worth it though and look!" She held her hands up though she was still sitting in the bed. "Good as new. Kisho put me back together real nice."

"I wish I could have." Leo mumbled.

She sighed heavily. "Leo, you need to learn to appreciate where your strengths are. You can't do everything all at once. You need to dial that shit back and give the rest of us a chance to help you. We all want to. That's why I'm here and that's why I want to be with you. I want to be your partner, not your burden. Did it ever occur to you that _you_ could be my family? Yes I _thought_ I wanted to get married and I _thought_ I wanted to have kids, even if my lifestyle doesn't facilitate it. But ya know what? I want _you_more. And some things are more important that dreams. Dreams evolve and grow. I have new dreams."

His eyes flickered down for a moment. "But can you trust that I have new dreams too? I thought I needed to spend my life protecting my brothers, protecting those that couldn't protect themselves. And with you...I realize I want more than that. I want to love, Joey and I want to love you. That is my new dream. Can you believe me when I say it?"

Joey was quiet for a moment. It was a mere moment but to Leo it felt like a life time. The proverbial clock was ticking in his head and he was afraid when she parted her lips, she would tell him no. When she did speak, however, it was with a softness Leo had never heard fall from her mouth before. "So long as you keep believing it, then yeah. I can. Just keep saying it and I can trust you for it. It's all I have, my trust and I have to trust that you wouldn't lie to me. So if you say I matter, then I must matter. I'd rather believe you than let myself deal with the pain of not. So yes, Leo...I do. So long as you say you want this and its worth something to you, I can trust it."

"I can...I do, Joey. I do mean it and it would be a waste to lie." Leo didn't know what else to say, but his jaw went slightly slack at her words and their faith in him. It came down to her faith as a whole, she was very much a trusting woman despite any reason not to be - perhaps it came from her religion, perhaps it came from her faehood...or maybe it was just Joey. Either way, Leo was glad for it, though he would always be prepared to fight for her love. He gave a little nod, unable to question her conviction as he believed it wholly. "Did you really slay a vampire prince? You never told me about that." He sounded in awe of her. He was.

She smiled a little at his words, stunned by the fact that he'd heard about it and at the same time amused by it. "Oh that, you heard about that too huh? Well like Shiki and Daichi, it's a story that's probably got half the facts wrong. I was scared shitless most of the time and it was more of adrenaline rush than it was skill. I guess, the bottom line is yeah, I did that. Who knew I'd open up the opportunity for Elisa and Cassius to take over. Live and learn, eh?" She reached forward and took his hand in hers, wrapping his thick fingers around her small ones. "You had a hand in that too though, what with that spiffy thing you did in killing Elisa. Good job, hot shot. You'll be a legendary vampire hunter too."

There was a moment of silence between them as she held his hand with both of hers and stroked the flesh of his palm. "The truth is I'm in love with you and I can't stop that. I can't wish it away and I can't make it quit. I don't want to. I'm a fan of this feeling." Joey told him quietly, almost softly for how coarse she normally was. "I'm a fan of you. Are we...okay?"

Leo's eyes widened, surprised and slightly bemused by her confession. "Joey, I'm the one that should be apologizing and pleading with you. Begging you to stay. Not the other way around. Of course we're okay, if you say we are, if you can forgive me. If you can trust me. If this is the me you want, its the me I am more than willing to offer. And it is you, just as you are, that I wish for in return. I can't change who I am and it seems like you don't want that to change."

Her hands tightened around his one. "Now you're getting it." she encouraged him, smiling fondly.

"I don't want to change either, nor do I want you to change. But I do want you by my side, for as long as you'll stay there, I'll be here. I will share my burden with you, as long as you share yours with me. Partners, Joey, that I can be. If you'll have me."

* * *

><p><strong>::Author's Note::<strong>

So you guys have made it to the END of part II. We close the last page of this story now and will be moving, soon, onto Part III. We do hope you will venture forward with us onto what is to come. We have quiet a bit of story left to tell. For those have made it thus far, thank you. We would love to hear what you think. V/R - Stoic and Harley


	28. Lost and Rendered

**::Author's Note::**

So, everyone who has made it thus far...thank you. We truly appreciate your support and dedication. This is the beginning of the end and what a journey it's been and going to be. We're going to test everything you've learned thus far and bring up stuff you may or may not remember from previous installments. Strap in and get ready, it's about to be an adventure. Two in fact! ^_^ You're about to score a two for one. We'd love to hear what you think. We assure you, all of this will make sense in due time.

* * *

><p><strong>Sing to Me Your Darkest Secrets<br>****Part III**  
>Preface:<br>Lost and Rendered

Raph's heart was hammering in his chest, as if it would beat right through the structure of his rib cage and even beyond the hardness of his plastron. It felt weird because it was trying harder to move. There was more stress place on the muscle than he felt even when in battle. He had faced danger frequently and beat impossible odds in his escapes, but never with a heart that beat so wildly in his chest. Raph was momentarily disoriented as up didn't seem to be as feasible a direction as down was and he had no idea of where he stood in the world. It took a few seconds to shake it off, which he did with a rattle of his head side-to-side. He sat up slowly, becoming increasingly aware that he was lying on a hard surface and not standing at all.

The faster he moved, the more befuddled he was. It was like his brain couldn't process the speed in which it moved while it also tried to comprehend his surroundings. When he moved to lean back on the palms of his hands, he pressed on into something soft and squishy.

Something _alive_.

He jerked around to find he'd pressed all of weight into Joey's belly. "Sorry," he hissed, twisting around in his spot. She was sprawled out unconscious on the sewer floor. "Joe. Hey Joe...c'mon...wake up." He gave her a hearty shake so that her body jostled. The only comfort he found in that moment was that she was still breathing. For now.

He couldn't remember what happened last and he had no idea where his brothers were. In fact, he couldn't fully remember the last time he saw them. The only thing he knew was that he was pretty sure they were okay. Perhaps...they might be okay. He had a distant memory of returning to New York from Japan, only to find Master Splinter and the others waiting for them. He'd done his best to hide his glee in seeing his sensei again. Then he remembered them trying to figure out how to spring him from Kenshin's 'care'.

"I don't need'ja help, I got it under control. I did it for a reason and that ain't for you to going running around saving my shell. I'm flattered, but lay off. I got it." Raph remembered telling them pointedly, the seriousness in his voice palpable throughout the room.

"Right, because that's exatly what happened. You had it under control when we had to save you from the arena. Had we not been there to help, you'd be dead by now! Stop being so stubborn and just accept our help." Leo's voice rang in against the confines of his skull.

He remembered pointing to Don, who was still nursing a weak body from the darts and beating he'd taken. "Yeah...and look what it got us. Exactly what I didn't want."

But everything beyond that was a vague blur. He shook his head. It was gross where they were, but familiar. Though trash had gathered up and there was rotten smell coming from somewhere, this was home. Or supposed to be home. He was positioned where the couch _should_be, but it was clear that nothing had lived here in a very long time. There was a dim light that was flickering from some distant cavernous room that Raph knew should lead to his sensei's quarters. None of it, however, looked like he remembered.

There was water beneath his green fingers, soaking the sides - he was sitting in water. Without someone there to heal the leaky pipes, they went untended and left a small pool of water where the brick ground sunk in at the center of the room. In fact, even the walls seemed to be covered in a slick layer of slime and wetness, from the very same leaks. Joey was laying in the inch deep muck, further down into the dip that was created on the floor. Beyond where he sat, he could hear a buzzing coming from the light, in his supposed sensei's room. The familiarity of it wasn't warm, in fact it chilled Raph's blood further than he normally had.

"Joey, come on!" He bitched at her, scooping her up with one arm and slinging her over his shoulder. The murky, filthy water poured off from her and all down her body, sloshing onto his.

He stumbled to his feet, having to rebalanced himself with her weight pulling on one side of him. It was once he was situated on his feet that he realized - this sickly remarkable representation of his home wasn't a replica. It was the real thing; it was his lair. There was a comic book floating in the water, its surface staring back up at him as characters depicted heroic action on the page. It was faded and dying, but it was very clearly Mikey's favorite series - ruined now. There were bits of the couch dancing with other debris. Stuffing and strips of fabric from the beloved couch existed, only to appear as if the whole thing had been obliterated in an explosion. Even a lone chopstick floated along the water too. Raph remembered it - the etchings on the end were old as it was one of Splinters' from Japan, but now forgotten in the dilapidated lair.

He shook his head lightly. This couldn't be happening.

Raph stood for a long time, awaiting answers - as if time would put the pieces together for him. There was no evidence of his brothers or their location, nor their health. Yet he remembered them being fine - where could they have gone? He remembered seeing the lair in all its glory not so long before, and now...this? He had no idea how long he stood there as his brain tried to figure out what exactly had happened to cause this. That was, at least, until he suddenly felt a burst of force to the chest. Joey was flung from his grasp, splashing in the water as she smacked the ground, and he went sprawling backwards as the air was knocked from him.

Raph's mind was set in immediate defense, prepared to attack after his own feet were knocked out from underneath him. He, however, didn't have time to scramble up before he heard the unmistakable buzz of nun chucks zip through the air. He was pummeled with them hard, enough to stick against his tough skin - he could feel the skill of the man, or turtle, that wielded them. His rage kicked in and superseded his surprise so that Raph's bull like force took over. He caught one of the nun chucks with his sai and sent it flying off in a random direction where it landed with a thud and a splash. His prideful victory was short lived as an expert fist came to his face and jerked his head back on his neck.

"Mikey! Stop." It was a female voice that called out just as the lights flicked on, the ones Don had installed - only half of them alive at this point. An eerie shadow cast the murky lair, though faces could be made out in the dim lighting. Raph was faced with his brother, who now had him twisted back by his elbow. Raph rage bled out into confusion as their eyes met.

Raph, however, didn't have a chance to ask questions or even react as he heard movement in the water and glanced over to see a woman dip down next to Joey. "She's hurt." The woman glanced up at the two of them. Raph was stunned to see a woman, in the sewer - one he'd never met - that was now kneeling in the water of their obliterated lair. Her eyes landed on Raph and she stared at him for a moment, surveying him. It was then that Raph realized she was patiently waiting for an explanation, as if to confirm that he wasn't responsible for whatever had happened to Joey.

Or at least that's what Raph could only assume.

"It ain't my fault. I found her like that." He snapped. "Tell Leo I said so, I didn't do anything. He gets freakish about her when he thinks I did somethin' to hurt her."

"Right," she said curtly. "I was actually waiting for an explanation of what happened - not who did what. More so I know how to properly treat her." Her eyes turned in question to Mikey, however, the second Leo was mentioned.

"Raph?" Mikey's voice finally came out in confused curiosity. His grip on Raph's arm had loosened, giving the red-clad turtle the chance to shake free. Raph had never known Mikey to be speechless before but the fact that it took him full minutes to join the conversation was telling.

"Damn Mikey - who left you to tend the place? I think ya dropped the ball. Did you let Don's lab get flooded too? Don'll be pissed and we all know what a bear he turns into when people touch his junk." Raph ribbed his brother but Mikey's head dropped a little which confused Raph all the more. He threw the bait for Mikey to take and yet his brother ignored it completely.

"Raph?" The woman echoed. "Are you sure? Then who's this?" The woman glanced at Joey.

"He didn't stutter did he, lady? It's Joey, ya know - Joey Hoxie. Who the shell are you?" Raph snapped, his eyes rounding on her.

Mikey seemed momentarily taken aback by Raph's brazen attitude, as if he'd forgotten that Raph was often working from a short fuse. "Cagney. That's Cagney Raph. Cags, CJ, Dr. Jay, Dr. Joyce. Our doctor. You remember her Cagney Joyce...right?" The timid tone to Mikey's voice gave Raph clues, indications to what he should know and somehow didn't. He looked over at her again. He would have remembered her if he'd met her, he was sure of it. First, she didn't look old enough to be a doctor of any sort. Secondly, she was strikingly normal looking and therefore didn't seem to fit in the sewers. Raph wondered if Mikey had paid her to hang out with him. It was his brother's lack of energy in his tone and look that made Raph feel somewhat guilty. He was then immediately angry for feeling guilty for something he had no recollection of.

"No. I don't know her. I don't know you!" Raph snapped at the doctor who was still fingering Joey's body and checking for various things to ensure that she was okay. "What the shell happened to the lair?"

"Lair? We haven't lived here in...years Raph," Mikey shook his head and frowned. "You okay? Someone hit you hard, Raphie?


	29. On a Losing Streak

**::Author's Note::**

Trust us...all will be explained! For your reference a 'bale' is a group of turtles (ie flock for birds, school for fish, etc.).

* * *

><p><strong>Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets<br>****Part III  
><strong>Chapter 1:  
><span>On a Losing Streak from the Very Start<span>

"You said this was supposed to work!" Don's words hit the air before Leo could say the same exact thing he'd been thinking. There was a note of panic in his voice, so very uncharacteristic for the tech savvy turtle. That was just it - this was a mechanism he knew so little about and now, he was pretty sure, his lack of knowledge was their downfall. It meant placing trust on people that perhaps weren't any more knowledgeable than he was.

In fact there was panic all around that made the air thick with worry and unspoken fears. It wasn't helping the situation that Don sputtered out his fears which everyone else was already feeling the second that things went wrong.

Raph was laying on the couch, his head lopped off to the side and Joey had been standing some feet away. She was watching as Payton administered an antidote for his curse, based on the theory that her blood would cure him. The antidote had been developed by Don and Ash by theoretical and ancient magic volumes, the two of them pouring over them in the last days just to be certain this would work. Payton had put it together with his skill as a healer and his seal of approval on it, ensuring that this was the only way that could possibly rid Raph of Elisa's bind.

Shiki watched with curious eyes while Payton worked. The raven healer had not voiced any of his concerns at that time as he was sure his natural magic wouldn't be of service to Raph. In the last few days, Raph's curse was degenerating his health faster than they could keep up with after the excitement and adventure in Japan. The visiugo healer had assumed that his body had held on tight during the trip because of the sheer amount of adrenaline coursing through him for the whole of the trip. It had managed to squelch the effects of the curse, much like a man whose arm was chopped off could still fight despite the pain, simply because of adrenaline. Evie's help only lasted as long as Raph let it as she had instilled the concept of his conquering his ailments - it didn't take away the fact that, at the end of the day, Raph was still sick. When they returned to New York a few days after escaping the arena, Raph had crashed in rapid sickness once more.

They needed to work on the cure quickly. With a vile of Joey's blood and some of Payton's 'mojo' as Mikey had called it, they had the antidote in a matter of days. Or so they thought. The second the needle injected into Raph, his body heaved violently on the couch before he fell back, still unconscious. Joey, standing beside Leo, yet watching the red wearing turtle, dropped like a stone to the bottom of a river bed. No one even had time to catch her as she fell in a heap to the floor.

Leo was kneeling beside Joey as she unexpectedly and heavily sank into immediately unconsciousness. "What's going on? Joey...Joey, wake up! Why did this happen?" he looked up, summoning all of his strength and focus to remain patient. It was clear, however, in the darkness of his eyes that he was worried for the woman. He gathered Joey's head in his lap and stroked her hair smooth while Shiki had bustled over to Raph. The raven was peeling his eye lids back as Payton frantically worked on his vitals.

"I don't know. I just...don't know. It should have worked." Payton said sharply. His focus was on Raph, but he wasn't oblivious to the fact that Joey had gone down too. "Is she still breathing?"

The words gripped Leo and he wondered briefly if there was a chance she might suddenly stop. He clutched tighter to Joey's body, as if to make sure her breath wouldn't escape her as readily as Payton made it sound like it could. He didn't like the horrifying image of dead, empty Joey that such an implication placed in his brain. "Yes." He couldn't muster up more than a simple affirmation.

"That's good." It was Payton's only reply as he focused on Raph.

Leo was quiet for a moment, looking down to Joey as he watched her eyes flicker behind her eye lids. He didn't want to ask about Raph, he was truly afraid of Payton's answer and it was half of the reason why he didn't look up. He was certain he'd get the answer that way too, without words, and that would be just as bad.

"Is Raph okay?" He heard a soft whimper come from Mikey elsewhere, no doubt in response to the fearful answer to Leo's question.

"For now." Payton answered again and Leo squeezed his eyes shut tight, his breath shaky. This was their only shot...their only remedy and if it didn't work, what would? What if they had only made it worse...? But why? The logic behind it made sense even to Leo, he didn't understand why this was happening. He hoped Don could; at least one of them might find out some answers.

The old ratty couch was now Raph's home and bed. Joey had been moved next to him on a mat that was dragged out of Mikey's room so that the two healers could watch over them. It had taken them nearly two hours to decide that they were at a loss for what had gone wrong and why both Raph and Joey seemed stable but unable to be woken. It was simply beyond the scope of their combined medicine - something all its own.

Splinter was seated beside Mikey, his hands resting solemnly on his walking cane. He had his eyes focused in on his son, lying so still on the couch. "What does this mean for Raphael?" he asked, his eyes  
>flickering to the others throughout that room. "I had worries about them traveling to Japan, worry for your intentions with them and how that might effect Raphael's illness. I ask of you...only because I haven't answers myself. What will become of Raphael?"<p>

"Kenshin's going to come for Raphael." Daichi said carefully as they all sat somberly in the open living room. "Or he will try."

Shiki's eyes went to his mate and he bowed his head. "What are you thinking, love?"

"I'm thinking that we don't have time for him to come. I'm thinking that this is beyond all of us. Donatello and Ashton are sure that their antidote was correct. Joey-shi was convinced that her blood would work just as well. What if the Naoyuki was wrong about what the ascot said? Or what if it wasn't as simple an antidote as we all previously thought. I'm under the belief that there was something more than what we all formerly assumed. I'm also fairly certain that it's beyond our understanding. I wish, Splinter-san, to see your son better but I am afraid we are all in over our heads. This magic is more than anything any of us can translate or even conceive. We should have considered, from the beginning, who-or what-Joey is. There is more magic in a finger nail on that woman's body than there is the entirety of ours combined. They don't need a doctor. They need a fae who can speak through magic."

"WHAT?" Donatello was flustered, seated on Splinter's other side. "I don't know anything about magic. Ash put together all the magical parts and I did the science. This should have worked! It should have, there was nothing wrong with it!" It took a lot out of Don and certainly hurt his pride when their hours pouring over books failed them. It failed them to the point that they could lose Raph and Joey for that matter. "Why did this even effect Joey? Why isn't Raph better?"

"Donatallo." Daichi turned to the turtle and placed his hands lightly on the turtle's shoulders. "You must be calm. It should have worked. It didn't. We must now look for another solution - and before the vampire comes for his charge."

Splinter sighed heavily, his whiskers twitching in the troubled thoughts that plagued his mind. "And how much do we have until that becomes our next threat?"

Daichi shook his head sadly and bowed briefly to the older Japanese mutant. "That I cannot be sure of. Days, weeks...mere hours. It depends on how much time it takes for him to travel...or to realize that Raphael is no longer in Japan. But I assure, he will come. Sumimasen, Splinter-san. We will do our best to keep Raphael safe."

"Raph should be free." Leo defended. He was seated on the floor beside Joey's unconscious body, her limp hand carefully placed in his. "It was the vampire who lost his 'charge'. The ravens took him and he became theirs instead. It's his loss at this point. We saved Raph from the Flight, he's ours again."

"Logic does not work with magic Leonardo. Remember that, always." Daichi bowed his head and let his hands fall from Don's shoulders. "It was a pact that your brother made and one that he must stand by. It matters not his location, simply that he lives. He is under Kenshin's house until he dies or Kenshin sets him free. We will come to a conclusion for how to release him in time, for now we must refocus on the more immediate concern. Or else the less desirable outcome will ensure Raphael's freedom."

"You said a fae...who can speak through magic. Joey's out, she's kinda sleeping. How do we find one?" Mikey asked, his eyes wide with curiosity. He was the one who didn't want to fight the bird-man or argue about where Raph's being belonged. In fact, he was slightly mortified by the idea that his being cursed could solve the problem via his death. Mike just wanted to be sure his brother was better.

"Dex." Ash stepped up smoothing down the front of his vest, the two Lionels were both quiet up until that point. "I believe Daichi means to find Dex. At this point, we have no idea how or why or even what's happened to them. Their bodies are unresponsive but their minds seem to be in tact and working...somewhere. I know he was mentioned before and the order of his busyness was brought into consideration. I don't think this is a consideration we can take anymore. Busy or not, we need Dexter Murphy."

"Who's Dex?" Mikey's eyes rounded on Ash and the neat man offered a sly smirk.

"Oh...just the faerie king."

* * *

><p>"I don't know about this Cags..." Mikey's voice trailed off as he leaned his head in to the woman. They were still in the sewers, rotting through for all the water damage that soaked its surfaces. She was taller than him by a few inches and yet it still seemed like he was able to easily overpower her as he was much wider than she was. "What'dya think? It's...sketchy? And not that cool sort of sketchy that is exciting, but the scary kind and let me tell you...I could do without the scary for a little while. Makin' my hairs go grey."<p>

Joey was cradled in Raph's arms. She was tiny, both shorter and skinnier than Raph; therefore she was an easy thing to carry for the broad turtle-man. In fact, he was half afraid he might break her should he squeeze too tight. He wasn't paying much attention to the other two who had insisted that he come with them. At least the blonde woman had said that they needed to move quickly. The only reason he had even agreed was because Joey was hurt, and because he knew Mikey. At the end of the day, even if his brother was acting odd, he trusted Mikey and therefore begrudgingly trusted Cagney.

He only hoped he wouldn't regret placing his blind trust in his more forgetful brother.

"I understand your concern but he has a fae with him. She's a fae, Mikey, I'm sure of it. She could easily die if we leave him here, with her unattended. If they were sending in something to befuddle us, if they were able to trick us with someone who looks like Raph but isn't, they wouldn't have sent him with a fae. Where would they even get one?" Cagney offered in a firm rhetoric. "I'm not sure if that's really Raph either, not after all that we've been through, but we can't abandon one of our own. Furthermore...what if he is Raph? Our Raph even? Maybe he knows where Leo is too."

Mikey's mouth didn't open to rebuttal. He was painfully aware of the situation and it was a part of his optimism, if there was any left in the turtle, that wanted to believe Cagney was right. "It was Don's sensors they tripped...he tripped. It had to be Raph as he was the only one moving. Raph...my brother would've known where they were."

"Not necessarily. If he doesn't remember me, then I can only assume that he has some form of memory loss. I don't have time to give him a full physical, not here anyway. We're in danger out here. We'll deal with it when we get back to camp. I'll make sure he's Raph. Remember...I know my turtles. _Real_turtles." She shined a bright, toothy smile at Mikey who relaxed a little. "Besides, if he is an impostor - I have the utmost faith in your skills." She patted him on the shoulder. Mikey grinned a little bit and puffed up some, confidence oozing from every stride of his step. He could, in fact, take care of it should Raph be a threat and not an ally. At least that was hoping he couldn't mimic the skills of his far more aggressive brother.

It was deeper into the sewer system than Raph ever found himself. They sank a level lower than the subway tunnels and into an ancient, former pumping station. The guts of the machinery had been pulled out and several decks were installed all around the massive and cavernous room. There were people, dozens and dozens, scattered about, even children. Some were wrapped up in blankets, sleeping on cots while others had plates of food in their hand and some were engaged in very serious looking conversation. Raph was mortified by the idea that there were children in a sewer but more than that, he was stunned by the rag-tag bunch that they seemed to be.

Men and women were dressed in clothing that wasn't dirty, but clearly worn thin and there were many who were hallow cheeked and most definitely sickly in appearance. He always knew this place wasn't fit for humans, far too delicate beings for underground. But this...as he passed through...terrified him. It looked like a refugee camp from some forgotten war. Had he not been holding Joey, he would have tried to hide himself from the people around. Though the part that struck him most was that none of them really looked up to them as they passed through. As if they were used to sentient turtles and humans walking together.

"Bring her here." Cagney instructed Raph. His eyes were still swiftly taking in the home that this place was, deep in the belly of New York City. He'd never even been this far in and that was somewhat surprising to him too. How did these people get there? Why were they there in the first place? And...more importantly...

"What's this all about?" Raph grumbled, trying to hide the surprise in his voice as he marched along behind the doctor, or so Mikey said she was a doctor.

"Survival, Raphie-boy. You remember that part too, right? Like how to get by. Maybe he's been pampered for the last five years on some misbegotten beach with half a dozen babes lotioning his turtle flesh. You like to bask eh Raphie?" Mikey teased, slinging an arm across his brother's shoulder. It was as if Mikey's worry was lost by the fact that Raph was there and if Cagney said it was okay - then it was.

"Get off Mikey." Raph growled. "Carrying one dead weight is enough."

The boisterous orange clad turtle laughed, but slipped his arm off from Raph. "Yep, it's definitely Raph in there. You were right, Cags!"

The woman glanced over her shoulder and offered a small nod. It was then that she pushed a door open at the back of the large room. Raph shouldn't have been as surprised as he was. It was bigger than the lab that Don normally had attached to his room in their lair and chalk full of just as many gadgets. He spotted his brother almost immediately. He was leaned over something, tinkering with it, so that his staff stuck up straight above his head and his mask ties were lazily laying against his shell. What he didn't expect, however, was the little girl sitting on the table next to him. Her feet were swinging and she was leaning over, watching Don do whatever he was doing. She couldn't be more than four or five, with vibrant blond curls and child-like rosy cheeks. She was in a dress, one like Evie would wear as Raph remember that little girl well too.

"What's'at one do, daddy?" She asked pointing at the pile of parts, just where Don's hands were working.

"What does that..." he corrected patiently.

The little girl didn't seem at all flustered by the idea that she'd been corrected. She merely looked up to him and smiled, echoing him perfectly. "What does that one do, daddy?"

Don didn't have the chance to answer before the child noticed Raph, with Joey in his arms, Mikey and Cagney. Her little face lit up, momentarily forgetting she even asked a question. "MOM! Uncle Mike!" She was off the table, having jumped from it. Don tried to catch her from possible harm, but he missed as her feet were already on the floor sprinting to them. She darted for Cagney first, who scooped the child up and held her close while the child tried to squeeze the air right out of her neck. She squirmed to be handed to Mikey who took her and immediately tossed her high into the air and caught her around her middle; but not without a squeak from Don, which was purposefully stifled. Though he stood rigidly and intently watching.

"How's my best girl?" Mikey beamed and the tiny blond laughed.

"Good!" She exclaimed. "Daddy's showing me about...um..." she looked back at Don for help as she was sure she couldn't pronounce the word by herself.

"Raph?" Don didn't answer the little girl, not having heard her. Instead, his eyes were on his brother. Dancing in them was both confusion and question, not unlike the purple turtle's eyes often donned. It was in that moment that Raph realized how much older they seemed. Not as if they had lived decades upon decades in a single second since he saw them last. It was as if they had seen more than he could have imagined. "Raph...I can't believe my eyes. Is it really you?"

"Yeah, yeah." He complained in irritation, though it sounded weak for how his eyes didn't move away from the scene he had just witnessed. None of it was making sense..._none_of it. He usually left the sense making for Donnie, but right then he figured it was on him as it was Don himself that confused him. On top of everything else. "Why's everyone keep saying that. I think there's more that's important than me like...where the shell did she come from? Or...who the shell are you again?" Raph barked at Cagney. Don frowned.

"I think you should put her down, Raph. We found them in the primary lair after the ground level sensor was tripped." Cagney said gesturing to Joey but the turtle pulled her closer as if uncertain about everything that was happening around him. His mind was in protection mode, both of his own brain as he couldn't process any of this properly and of Joey as he knew Leo would kill him should she have a hair on her head hurt.

"Raph..." Joey croaked, having just started coming to. She blinked hard, her voice wispy in her post-sleep stupor. "You're smooshing me."

Unintentionally, he released the woman and she almost fell completely from his arms. He barely caught her before dumping her onto the ground. Carefully, he helped her to her feet, but still had his arms holding her up. As he did so, he spoke with force. "We need answers!"

"Was Leo with him?" Don asked Mikey and Cagney but before they could answer, he looked to Raph. "Where's Leo? What happened to you two? I think the more we know about what happened, the more we can answer...because...well...Raph, you know who Cagney is."

"What? No-no, I don't know who she is. Ya ain't listening, Don. I got no clue who either of them are. And Leo? Who the shell knows! I don't even know where I am. Your guess is as good as mine where he is." The red wearing turtle snapped and Joey's fingers dug into his shoulder.

"Leo's missing?" She asked quietly, looking expectantly to Raph.

"For years." Cagney responded and Joey's eyes snapped up. The two women's eyes locked.

"Cagney?" She asked but the blonde drew her head back in surprise.

"I...don't know you." Cagney shook her head as she spoke compassionately to Joey but glanced toward Don.

"Finally, now you get where I'm coming from!" Raph barked. He was standing a little in front of Joey, not letting her stand directly in their line of fire. Should they fire at all and right then, Raph figured everything and anything was possible. Nothing was making sense - so why wouldn't something nonsensical follow?

Joey seemed momentarily stunned. "Yes. Yes you do. At the spring, that was last summer. We were in Florida at the spring. Kazeem and Nikol were kidnapping your bale. They'd gotten a taste for turtle when Jeff went rogue. Half your bale was turned to dolls. Visiugo make the best, better than a mage in taste and far less dangerous than a fae. It happened. I remember. You...you're a doctor right? You...I brought them back to you to heal, to break their addiction. I trained you on how to do it. I trusted you with those visiugo, your kin. You...don't remember that?"

Cagney's eyebrows were raised high on her forehead. Even Mikey, still holding the girl, seemed confused by it all, though Don was watching closely as if he were taking mental notes on everything that was being said.

"Jeff? Jeff's been dead for years. Kazeem...he's a vampire right? From Africa and Nikol, his mate?" Cagney shook her head. "I never had a run in with them. I've heard of them. Most of my bale was killed years ago, before the war started. No one goes to Florida. No one. It's not safe. The fae court has been under siege for months, maybe years now. Not much is left standing. No one goes to the spring, not after the spring creature died - the one feeding the glamour, the magic of the court. I'm probably the only turtle left at this point. Our habitat was destroyed by Bishop and his people. If they can be called people. The spring is gone, the magic mostly destroyed. No where's safe anymore. That didn't happen, and it couldn't have happened last summer. I've been in New York for six years now. My mate is here. My family." She had instinctively moved closer to Don who had come to meet her.

"Raph?" Joey's head swiveled to look at the turtle who shrugged, equally as confused.

"I don't know what she's talking about either." Raph added.

"It's like the Twilight Zone." Mikey hissed, not afraid but half amused by how weird it was. The little girl in his arms was still looking on silently, with wide and curious eyes.

"Donaterro. Micherangero!" The door burst open, causing so many eyes to swivel towards it. "Sprinter wants you!"

There was a lull in the group as the little Asian man, with his thick accent and grinning face, skidded into the room. It was as if nothing could break his lively spirit, no matter how dire the circumstance. There was an intricately designed tattoo around his wrist that would, under normal circumstance, indicate that he was a doll. Elisabeth Penn's doll. Raph knew that tattoo, the one Ash bore. His fingers moved to brush the raised scar on his neck, under his chin, that branded him as Kenshin's property.

Raph also knew this man; he had watched him die under Leo's blades. It seemed like a lifetime ago at this point, though in reality was but a snippet of it theirs. "Yuki-san." He didn't need to hear Joey's weak voice to know his name.

"Joa-hee-shi!" He squealed, his entire face consumed by a grin so large that it might as well weigh down the rest of his skin. His eyes disappeared entirely into his face. "I s'ought you were death!"

"Seems to be a common theme." Raph remarked bitterly.

"Your...English translator still isn't working right in that gourd of yours." She mumbled, stunned and unable to process what she was seeing, hearing and feeling. But before she knew it and before Raph could really intercept, Yuki had her up in his arms, rather than still hanging limply on Raph, and embraced in a powerful kiss of reunion.


	30. They Said You'd Help Me

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>**Part III  
><strong>Chapter 2:  
><span>They Said You'd Help Me<span>

The tree that overhung the white antique house was as wide at it's greatest canopy as it was tall. On its branches were long, hanging Spanish moss that looked like boiled out ramen noodles, which danced on the warm breeze. It was a welcomed breeze considering how easily the hot sun could scorch the land. There was a young man seated atop a blanket of leaves dappling the ground around him. His face was pointed up at the sky overhead as he leaned back on his hands, peacefully unaware and aware of his surroundings all at once. His feet were lazily kicked out in front of him, one crossed over the other at the ankles.

"We'll be getting guests soon." He said methodically, with a note of mischief in his voice. In fact, there was even a sparkle of wonder in his eyes. Those same eyes narrowed in on the blue backdrop of the sky and he never looked over to the blonde woman sitting next to him.

"Dex?" Her voice peaked in curiosity, though not nearly as naturally curious as the boy's voice sounded. It wasn't uncommon for him to speak randomly and abstractly. Few could truly follow him when he started to speak about what he knew or thought. Or even, perhaps, what he dreamed.

"Cagney," he lazily rolled his head to the side to glance at her. A brief, but bright smile crossed his face. "The clouds never lie."

The woman didn't respond, she merely looked up to them, wondering what he could possibly see that she didn't. After a few moments of inspection, seeing nothing but puffy white globes of water, she spoke. "When?"

"Oh...I don't know." Dex looked skyward again, his neck disappearing as his shoulders came up and he sank into his slouch. His long bangs tickled his eyelashes as he offered another half hearted sigh and lopsided grin. "Sometime after now, that much is certain. I can be fairly certain it won't be before this moment...or this one...or this one too." It was in a breezy manner in which he spoke, nonchalantly. His eyes moved down toward the ground and he frowned, hard. His eyebrows pinched together. "Joey is among this change in the wind. Infamous if only for her reckless bravery and perhaps her clout. People say they've never known her to bring good tidings. Danger lurks in her shadow. Of course many say the same about me," he shrugged. "On the heels of hell it was that I swept in and took the throne. With me, my dangerous shadow followed." He chuckled. "If only they knew how this...burden...truly came to me. Alas, a dying friend's last wish must always be answered."

"Joey? Hoxie?" Cagney asked. When Dex nodded, she tucked a blonde curl behind her ear. "Last summer, she helped us, my bale. She brought me good tidings, Dex. Hardly a dangerous drop in that shadow. She saved half of us, we are in debt to her for it. I can't even imagine what would have happened had she not been there. I might not be here."

"EXACTLY!" the young man exclaimed. "That's exactly what I meant. People are often wrong, Cagney." Dex climbed up onto his knees and pressed his hands into his thighs as he leaned toward her. His dark eyes danced against his dark, tanned face. It was as if he never went indoors and therefore the sun colored him with natural rays. "People forget to _see _before they **look**. People forget, period."

Cagney's eyebrows came together briefly. She was logical at her root, being a trained medical doctor among her draw to nature. Magic was primary to her existence and she understood it, believed it and loved it, but she could never, on her best day, follow Dex into his inner insanity. It was that very same trait that only made the seventeen year old stronger in his magic. He didn't need others to believe in him - though he had a knack for gaining their trust - because he believed enough in himself to exist as the faerie he was.

"I really came to ask if you mind if we claim the spring next weekend for the summer equinox. We won't disrupt the patrons and we'll all be in animal form, during the day to avoid vampires. They just might see a few more turtles basking on the logs that crop up out of the down stream flow." She grinned, never expecting him to deny her request.

"Only if I can join you in the celebration." He arched an eyebrow. His eyes moved to the small hill that rolled down into a concrete walkway. His home. The home of the fae. Cagney moved to climb to her feet, prepared to take news of his approval to her fellow visiugo. "You'll have your chance." He said whimsically.

"What? What chance?" She was caught by his calling her back for something that she didn't immediately understand.

She fought the urge to bow to the young man, it was hard not to see him as the royal figure he truly was. He wouldn't have it and he would scold anyone that did. But the former king, before Dex, insisted on the distance between himself and any non royal fae. Dex disagreed and also scolded for those who didn't address him by his given name, always with the argument of 'My parents gave it to me, they meant for it to be what I am addressed as - plus...I kind of like it. Dexter, I have a fiction serial killer named after me. I must lead an exciting life'.

"To repay the debt you feel you owe to Joey. She doesn't do what she does for the favors, Cagney Joyce. She does them because it's right. She does it because it feeds her soul. But if you feel you must return the favor, for helping you with the vampires Kazeem and Nikol last summer...I believe you'll have your chance in some way or another. I remember that war waged with the vampires," he added distantly. "I lost Wilson. Amazing knight, good man. God rest his spirit. Soon, we'll have guests."

Cagney felt her chin tuck down and an eyebrow arch on her head again in sympathetic confusion. She liked the fae king. Sometimes it was hard to slip away from him, others he was so busy that it seemed like people didn't see him for weeks. But it just so happened that she caught him on a dreamer sort of day.

"DEX!"

The blonde woman jumped at the sound as it was a familiar voice, but not one she expected or that she would hear in such a panic; not that Payton Lionel didn't panic regularly. She turned but found the fae king sitting still on his knees looking at her. The smile on his face was enough 'I-told-you-so' for her to sigh inwardly. He peeked over his shoulder as Ash seemed to magically pop into existence from no where just as Payton had. "You weren't kidding." She said in a pitch two tones higher than she normally used as they appeared with the unconscious Joey and Raph, as well as three other turtle-men. They were lucky it was the middle of the week and the park and nearby playscape were empty. Secluded enough, though still outside in daylight, left the turtles safe for the moment.

She briefly glanced to the sky, at the puffy clouds that 'never lied', and wondered what the hell Dex saw in the fat, white objects in the sky.

"Cagney," Payton's eyes caught hers and they seemed to exchange a silent greeting and understanding. "I...didn't expect to see you here."

"Why? I live here, Payton. In Florida. You're the one that moved to New York...where it snows."

"Good...we could use your help too." He said immediately, dismissing any sort of tease in her voice. There was clear tension in the air from the new group. "You know visiugo modern medicine better than anyone I know. It'll have to do."

"Except for maybe yourself." She said with a cock of her head but she had already moved forward to the two unconscious patients. "What happened? He's not...a visiugo." She drew her head back as her hand caught Raph's arm. "He doesn't even look like one at closer inspection. None of you...do...really. They're delicate, lean." She observed, speaking to Payton but glancing toward Leo, Don and Mikey, "Nature has been kind to you." She leaned back over Raph before shooting a look at Joey. "Oh Joey...Dex really wasn't kidding." She muttered again.

"Don't...not yet - we're not sure what went wrong." Ash warned, briskly stepping between Cagney and Raph. "I don't care if Payton was your prodigy or you have God's own blessing behind you. What he, Don and I have done already caused enough damage, I'm not so convince conventions are the answer this time. Before you go diagnosing the medical way - we need the fae way."

"Nice to see you too, Ash." She remarked snidely, leaning back on her heels.

"Well...where is he?" Don snapped, flustered by the interaction, not to mention having been convinced to travel by magic. I made him feel like he was ripped out of existence by his guts only to be slammed into the ground hard. At least when Joey did it, it had felt like they were stepping through a door way made of water. The mage way seemed much more abrupt.

"Who?" Dex asked cheerfully and Payton placed a hand to his forehead, knowing quite well how badly this was about go. They didn't have time to fully prepared the turtles for what they were about to endure or whom they would meet.

"The fae king. The one we came here for! Ash said his name was Dexter Murphy. Where the shell is he?" The purple cad turtle barked in frustration. It was rare for Don to be that impatient with anything, in fact it was very uncommon for him to be anything but perfectly serene and calm. It was because he felt partly, if not entirely, responsible for this all going wrong and for the fact that no one seemed to have _any_answers. His worry for his brother, and what he'd done to him, trumped his grace and patience.

"Oh!" Dex cooed, his entire face lighting up with a brightness that could easily rival the bright blue sky above. "That would be me." Dex clarified just as cheerfully. "Pleasure to meet you. Welcome to my kingdom, stranger! As you know, I am king in title - though here there really are no strangers. Only friends we haven't met yet. As we've now met, we are no longer strangers but friends."

Don blinked, once. The silence that ensued was palpable. "Is this _kid_serious?"

"DON!" Ash snapped before he could stop himself as everyone else seemed to be stunned by the sudden exchange. Even Leo was shocked by his brother's brazen, almost Raph-like response.

Dex's mischievous smile never wavered. Instead, it almost widened. "A non believer graces us. How...curious. I could certainly use your company sir, as Cagney was just saying my head is in the clouds today. A dose of honest banality couldn't hurt to remind me that the ground is here and the clouds..." he looked upwards briefly,"...up there. Or maybe our perspectives are wrong and I'm the one on the ground and the rest of you are in the clouds."

Don's lips were parted in shock, before he glanced widely between Payton and Ash, almost questioning their judgement. "WHAT?" Don chirped. "What does that even mean? Who is this kid? We don't have time for this, we need to find the king-you said he could help, I'm not in the mood to play games."

Dex leaned back a little and Leo's hand came down on his brother's shoulder patiently, hoping that Don would take the moment to calm himself as Leo was silently issuing a warning. He was pretty sure, knowing what he did of fae, that this was in fact the king. Even if Don wasn't so prepared to believe it, Leo couldn't help but accept it as fact.

Dex's smile faded only a little. "It means that you're challenged and when issued a risk, you buckle under pressure. You...of them, are the most likely to worry or take guilt for something that might not be your fault. A martyr. You wish to be granted blame to distract from how much it hurts to be without a direction. You need someone to point you, to guide you or you take failure personal. Don't beat yourself up over it - what you consider a failure might be a victory for others. Or, if you hadn't failed you wouldn't learn and you'd continue to barrel through life like a bull in China shop accidentally stumbling on the right path from time to time but not taking the care to live it. There is always something to be learned. I've told you, I am him. He is me-we are but one person."

Don's breath escaped him from the sheer shock. He had even taken a step back, Leo's hand falling away from his shoulder. He didn't like the sound of it as Dex easily pulled forth many of the things Don struggled with so easily. Emotional battles Don fought alone.

"That is what the temper tantrum was about, right? I was pretty sure we were going to have a five foot something tall lean, not visiugo as Cagney pointed out, turtle throwing himself on the lawn and pitching a hissy fit. It's not becoming. After all, who's the kid now?" Dex hopped agilely to his feet. His tone wasn't scathing, rather it sounded more like he meant his words in jovial, playful teasing. Lean and lanky with a mop of shaggy dark hair made him look just as young as he actually was.

"Ooooh do me! What about me!" Mikey pushed forward energetically, seemingly smitten with the wordy fae. "What do you see in me?"

"Forgive them." Leo butted in, cutting Mikey off. "We're outside though and this place looks rather public. Could we go somewhere more, secluded perhaps, your majesty? "

"No." Dex said, suddenly very serious. Gone was his grin.

"No?" Leo asked, his voice sharper in his confusion. There was almost offense to his voice, not having expected such an answer from a seemingly helpful person.

"No, you may not address me as your majesty. That just won't do. You are not welcome at my table or in my home or at the palace," he gestured to the white, three story plantation style home, a true antique from an era long gone, "until we have a clear understanding that I am but a humble fae.

"True, I'm a king but my title gains me respect from only those who I earn it from. You say it from knowledge, knowing I'm a king, but not from experience and I find it no royal feat to simply wear a crown." It was easily honest as the boy looked like he should be hanging out in a mall or at the beach rather than a king. Furthermore, the way he gestured to an old plantation house and called it a palace made him look crazy. He was far too old to be playing pretend. "I assure you, I will prove to you that I am worthy of my title but that doesn't mean I want it issued to me out of practiced habit. That makes it mockery. And I loathe nothing more than to be mocked. Try again, with the proper title. The one my parents gave me. Dexter if you wish...but my friends call me Dex and as we've already established, you are no longer strangers."

Leo blinked and Ash snickered behind his hand, as if he knew that was coming.

"Dex...may we please move somewhere more private?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" He beamed brightly, suddenly turned cheerfully mischievous again as if on a dime. "Though it is a beautiful day out. It's a shame to lose all the clouds. Sometimes I wish I could take them inside with us. I would appreciate it if you would come into my palace. It was once the home of the Thursby's. A family who moved here to grow oranges, sometime before the civil war. You're standing where orange groves once stood. And now the magic wells here because of the spring behind you in this public state park. But what they can't see is that this is a vortex of natural magic. Can't you feel it?"

Leo and Don glanced at one another. His energy was undeniable and he his words were full of confidence. He believed what he was saying but neither felt different. All the felt was the same warm breezed blowing the Spanish moss around.

"I do!" Mikey exclaimed and Dex beamed at him. "Yeah, it's like...comfy." He explained, glancing over his shoulder at the row of trees lining a crystal blue river and the fae king nodded to him; encouraging him.

"The non-believer has a believing friend, I see. That is the Blue Spring. Most mundane, non magic folk, think it's just an opening in the ground where water comes up. But when they get scared crossing that fissure in the ground they feed the magic - even adults. I once watched a pair of friends, the braver of the two helping bring the terrified one across the dark abyss. Just being afraid of it fed the natural magic of something so beautiful, so raw. They treat it as if a monster lives down there. And he does. But he's a nice monster who only feeds on dreams and gives them back in what makes this place raw."

Don's mouth was gaping open a little bit, wondering if he could believe the monster living in the water, giving off magic. Maybe under most circumstances he could, but coming from Dex, it sounded like a pretend story from the mouth of an imaginative toddler.

"How strong are your convictions?" Dex directly asked Don, who seemed like he was suddenly put on the spot for a test he didn't study for.

"Not strong enough yet." Dex answered himself at Don's silence and deer-in-the-headlights expression. They were telling enough.

"Yes they are! They are strong, I have strong convictions." Don shot back defensively. "But...strong are my convictions for what? I have many things to hold convictions for."

"Does it matter what? Just have them." Dex encourage him brightly. "For now, have them in me. My age - being a 'kid' as you say, is the best thing that my people could use in a leader. I'm not tainted by age that draws out and destroys all the bare magic in my mind. Its like time covers the ability to dream. The irony is that I would better suit my people if I aged backwards. I'm sure you'll, logical and rational, have some argument about experience. Experience is only time's torture on those who need to _learn _how to live. It doesn't take experience to lead with your heart and have the best interest of those who matter in mind. Yes experiences make us stronger and point us in the right direction. But I know better what my people need than any amount of experience could offer. Life is not something that needs learned by way of living, it's something inherent that we are born with - or not. Those experiences are beacons and guild-lights in the dark, not the map. Besides, I have my fair share of scars to prove that I've been there. My convictions...they're strong."

"I love this guy!" Mikey exclaimed while Don's brow ridges arched again.

"Dex, may we go inside? My brother and Joey, they're badly hurt." Leo asked, forcing his patience to remain strong.

"Oh yes!" he beamed. A second later he shook his head, "But...not like that. You would just end up in the house and not the palace."

"But...that's all there is; just a house there." Don argued, slightly frustrated by the the white house being called a palace.

"We'll have to work on those convictions." Dex told the purple wearing turtle. "It's more than a house and it's more than history. It's magic. You just can't see it yet." This was a lesson Leo understood. One he had experienced and wasn't looking to repeat, though he knew the fae king meant to enchant them as Joey had done to take him into the outskirts of the Dreaming.

"I can..." Mikey cooed, dreamily as his eyes seemed to be gazing beyond them to the house.

Dex turned to Mikey and clapped him on the shoulder. "Good man, you'll still need a dose." With that, Dex reached back and caught the tail of Mikey's bandanna. As he drew his hand down it, like some slight of hand expert, he pulled a coin. It was larger than a quarter and closer to the size of a silver dollar. It, however, was made of what appeared to be ice or crystal. Mikey's eyes were wide and a soft 'whoa' escaped him.

"Whoa indeed! Dreams stuff." Dex vaguely explained holding it out for Mikey to take. "This one is for you. Do not lose it. Do not put it down and you will have to give it back to me. To unenchant you, you must give it back to me. Do you understand?" Dex pulled the translucent coin back until Mikey nodded, mouth agape. "Very well, I present you with this gift."

Mikey held out his hand and Dex placed the coin in his palm and then closed his fingers around it, making a fist around the object but holding Mikey's elbow with his other hand. "Friend, are you well?" Dex asked as Mikey wobbled in his spot. A second later, he caught Dex's shoulder with his free hand as he almost toppled over while the magic saturated him.

"Whoa..." Mikey mumbled as his head swiveled around taking in all the new sights and sounds, his hand in a tight fist around the coin. "What's dream stuff?" Mikey asked.

"Oh!" Dex brightened. "Pure magic. Direct from the dreaming. Where anything is possible if you dream it. This piece liked you. That's why it came from your...mask. Hold tight." Dex urged him.

"What have you done to him?" Don asked, worried for how Mikey's eyes looked so round and glazed.

"Enchanted him." Leo responded before Dex could answer. The leader took a step forward. "This piece is special to me. If you could enchant it, I would appreciate it." Leo had unfolded the end of his brown belt tied around his waist where a small stone lived. One that Joey herself had enchanted and given to him when they were in a time of need. Dex nodded and offered no words, merely silent understanding. He held the stone between his hands and drew it close to his chest. Leo was sure the the space between his fingers glowed. A second later, it was handed back with the same verbiage that Dex had offered Mikey, to which Leo agreed and promised.

"What...happens if I don't give it back?" Don inquired, concerned about the logistics of it. He eyed his brothers for a moment, considering how it didn't seem that much different than what Raph promised to Kenshin - a mark on his neck wasn't all that different from an enchanted object, it seemed. Or so he feared. Furthermore the way his brothers looked someone discheveled was alarming.

The fae king bent and scooped up a stick. In an instant, Leo had his katana out and Mikey fumbled for his nun chucks. Both seemed alarmed and very serious as Dex held the stick between his fingers, spinning it lazily with his wrist. Dex held up his free hand and Don was momentarily baffled by what they must be experiencing that he wasn't. Leo's eyes were on Dex in his customary defensive mode and Mikey was strong next to his brother. "I will not harm your brother."

Don had half a mind to tell his brothers to relax, his 'stick' was far bigger than Dex's should the zany king go against his word.

Clearly, Don figured, they were seeing something he didn't. The case was true, the stick - was hardly a stick to Leo and Mikey who could see it for the magic that Dex dreamed it to be; a pristine two handed sword. Dex could make something ordinary and mundane like a stick become whatever he wanted it to be, if he believed in it. He swung it and caught Leo's blade as the leader held firm in his spot. In that second, Don heard sound of metal biting into metal. It stunned him when the stick didn't break right in two by the sharp blade of his brother's katana. In fact, he had thought that Dex was about to look quite foolish attacking Leo with a flimsy stick. But there was enough belief around them, enough to make that fae magic real and for it even Don - who didn't believe fully in what he was seeing - to see it, for just a moment.

In a second, they were in a volley of metal crashing against metal. Dex and Leo seemed to dance opposite one another as Don now could see Leo's katana as a katana...and Dex's stick as a sword. As it happened, Don blinked. The sheer fact that it was happening fed his belief and in that moment, his scientific mind turned off and he was once more the five year old who asked his father 'why' for everything. The Don that dreamed and pretended with his brothers. That Don still lived in this man, he was just repressed. But he was there, the same that would bite the bait when Mikey smacked him on the shoulder and said, 'YOU'RE IT'. The same that dreamed about the fantastical things his machines could do.

"There!" Dex swept around, away from Leo and pointed his stick (to the naked eye) - sword to the believer - at Don. Leo had to cut his attack short and almost toppled into Dex the second the fae king took a new direction; completely halting the sparring suddenly. He did so mostly gracefully and Dex pitched the sword aside. "There they are! Your convictions! Much better. Do you see it now?" He asked glancing over his shoulder at the house.

Don's eyes turned up to the white house. For a fraction of a second, it was not a white house, but a massive white castle with banners blowing in the wind and spires headed straight to the heavens. Don shook his head lightly, stunned by how huge it stood on the hill, like it tripled in size and yet the trees still decorated its perimeter. "Yeah...yeah I do..." Don mumbled, placing a hand to his forehead as if to check to see if he had a fever and this was merely a side-effect.

"You there, friend," Dex pointed to Leo. "Take your brother and Joey inside. Wait in the atrium. When you pass through the doors, the mundanes inside won't disturb you. They won't see after you're in the castle. You'll be safe there. We'll be right behind you. Oh, and you're right - they're very sick." His eyes turned back to the two bodies. Dex frowned and shook his head. "Very, very sick."

Don watched as his brothers took the two unconscious bodies up the stairs of the once more plantation home and passed through the open door that, Don could see from afar, appeared to be a make-shift museum of sorts. The house itself was in the condition of it when it was in it's prime and as a state park acted as an educational center with museum-like pieces from the era when this land would have been the orange grove haven Dex claimed.

"You need work. I worry for you and what the magic will do to you. If you lose it, your object, you will go mad. You will...succumb to bedlam. That is why it is so important that you don't lose it. I will not be able to help you if you lose your token. You will see things, things that you can't see right now. There..." Dex pointed just behind Don, "a chimerical critter. Or up there in the tree, he's always perched - ever watching me. A harpy. You don't frighten me." Dex spoke up at one of the tree branches.

Don was sure if he didn't know better, he would think this kid was mad. He remembered when he was seventeen. He and his brothers had been through quite a lot by then. That was a time long since passed and he'd seen so much since then it seemed laughable - what he thought he knew at seventeen. He wondered how old Dex was, he couldn't be older than that. Don wondered what he'd be like in the years that would follow - would whatever he saw, as Don believed he did see a glimpse of it, would drive him to bedlam too.

The fae king swept around and scooped up the 'sword' he'd pitched off to the side. He held it close to his chest for a moment. "I can reach right into the Dreaming and pull forth pure magic. Like for your brother - dream stuff. But I think, perhaps, it would be too much for you. No, for you something a little larger and less likely to be lost." Dex took a knee in front of Don and held up the stick, flat against his raised palms, with his head bowed low. "For you, sir. May it protect your and your convictions. May it guide you when you are lost and may it bring your dreams back to life. A gift...please take it."

Don hesitated, looking at the boy before him. Any adult humans walking by would find the situation bizarre from their perspective. Cautiously, Don reached out and lifted the item from Dex's hands. The second it passed from one to the other, Don felt heat burn his hand where it held the hilt of the sword that was now very obviously nothing but a bright and heavy medieval weapon. The heat radiated up his arm and raced through is body, burning his stomach and making his mind hot. He thought he was going to throw up.

The world exploded before his eyes. There was a creature, pink and fluffy that sort of resembled a bunny rabbit with wings hopping along the grass. The grassy hill seemed to suddenly be bigger, as if it was meadow leading up to a massive palace that now remained in Don's perspective without wavering. The boy, however, was what Don's eyes fell on last. Dex, though still lanky and lean, had sharp and angled features. He had tall pointed ears that jutted up from his head and even darker bronze skin. All of it came together in what appeared to be a very aristocratic, elfish look. Even Dex's clothes looked different. They weren't the jeans and tee shirt but instead a brown tunic with a royal crest embroidered on the chest. Before, that had been an 'O'Neill' surf logo.

Don didn't realize he was swaying in his spot until he felt Dex's hands under his arms. "You three stay here for now. Just for now; let me get them situated inside. Time is of the essence, we haven't much time. The enchantment mustn't last very long. I'll be back for you. Don't argue." Dex said to the Lionel brothers and Cagney. None did, for it Dex was thankful as he lead the wobbly legged Don, dragging his sword behind him, into the castle.

* * *

><p><strong>::Author's Note::<strong>

This chapter is dedicated to Sibo and Haley. Sibo who may or may not read it, but she loves fae and it seemed fitting. Next it's for Haley, our friend Haley. To Haley for the_ Golden Age_ :: in memory of the fall of 1997 ::


	31. I'm Lost Without You

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>**Part III  
><strong>Chapter 3:  
><span>I'm Lost, So Lost, I'm Lost Without You<span>

"Our father...who art in heaven...hallowed by thy name..." Joey's voice trailed off between verses as she was speaking slowly. Her head was deeply bowed and her forearms rested on the pew in front of her. Her hands were folded, yet wrapped around a row of beads, in prayer. Her words brought no comfort and her attachment to ritual, which normally helped Joey find solace, only made the flames of fear peak. "Thy kingdom..." her eyes batted open and she looked around the empty cathedral, her voice dying off. It was eerie how still it was. She had never known this church to be this quiet and never had she knelt before the alter alone.

Something was very wrong in this place.

It wasn't just the church. It was Cagney saying that her deeds for the visiugo turtle bale of Florida had never been done. It was Don's face when he saw Raph. It was the way Mikey seemed skeptical of things that he wouldn't normally be skeptical of. It was the little human girl who called Don 'dad'. It was the fact that Yuki...was _alive_. The fact that Leo was gone, presumably dead. It couldn't be real and yet here she knelt, in a place very real to her. Familiar and yet so foreign.

She could still feel the fire of Yuki's lips on hers, parted in passion and joy. She couldn't deny that it felt good and part of her ached to deepen that kiss and remember what her life was supposed to be. She had had a moment of sheer shock and confusion as she felt remembrance of their time in union. They were meant to have a life together, engagement then marriage and a house and children too. That brief period of comfort and hope was dashed in an instant as Leo came to mind. She had long since buried Yuki, well before his body was ash. Along with him went their dreams together. She was beyond him, over him, even if this man - alive and recovered from dollhood - was not over her. She had something more to live for, something better. _Leo_.

She looked up to the man hanging on the cross, high above the alter. "I don't want him. Why has he been given to me again? And Leo taken? What sort of test is this? I can't do it again. I will fail if I lose Leo." She grabbed a hold of the pew in front of her and sank further, letting her forehead rest against the wooden back of the bench seat in front of her. "I want him. I miss him." She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, angry with herself for being susceptible to weakness, Yuki for being there and Leo for being gone.

"Baby Joey?"

Joey was on her feet in a second. Her heart stopped and she felt her head snap around. Everyone in New York that was friendly or related to the Hoxies called her by that name. This voice, however, was one she couldn't mistake. Joey was sure she'd never misplace her father's words. She was 'Baby Joey' because he was 'Big Joey'. She was sure she had sat, with Leo, at his grave site - the headstone, she could remember it very well, which read Joseph Hoxie - not that long ago, where she left her engagement ring from Yuki.

"Pops?" Her voice shook as she drank in the sight of her father. Tall and handsome, invincible - just like she remembered when she was eight and even eighteen when he'd passes away. The fact that he'd aged never made him any less likely to fall as Joey was sure, like many children, that this man hung the moon. Her mother had died when she was a tiny child, but her father - he had always been there until cancer took him. He wasn't a ghost and, like Yuki, he was very much there and alive. Her test, whomever was making it, just got more difficult. She wondered, briefly - upon seeing her father, where it was she wanted to return to and why. How could she possibly leave a world where her father was still breathing?

"I thought you died!" Joe blurted out, rubbing his hands on his dress pants. Joey smirked, the only time her father wasn't covered in grease from a car or wood chips from some carpentry project, in a pair of comfy jeans, was when he was at church. He looked comfortable in them but uncomfortable that she was so far away. She remedied that in an instant, having darted forward and squeezed his middle.

"I thought you did!" She mumbled into his shirt, burying her face in the familiar scent of her father's cologne. There was no mistaking that either. There was no one on the planet that she would yield to, that she would let her soft side show and hope that she could be caught by, should she fall, besides this man. "Where is everyone?"

"Well, it's Wednesday. Baby Joey, no one goes to church on Wednesday...unless you're a Hoxie." He grinned and messed up the hair on the crown of her head.

She couldn't help but grin and feel a measure of relief - safety - in the embrace of this man. She thought for sure she could stay there forever and never have to see the outside world or face whatever bizarre goings on were transpiring around them. She was blinded by the security she felt, as if she was a tiny girl again and he could chase all the monsters away - and there would be nothing left in the dark to fear. Her hug tightened around him and she kept her cheek buried against his chest.

"Joey, you're going to squeeze the life out of me," he chuckled playfully. "I'm not going anywhere. Were you going to say your rosary? I suspect that's why you're here. Come on, I'll say it with you." His accent, heavy and New York, rivaled that of her friend Raph. It too was a comfort to Joey as he looped his arm across her shoulders and drew her back into the pew.

She couldn't help but sneak a peek at him. The sensation was overwhelmingly comforting. Where Yuki had only confused her and made her wonder why Leo wasn't there, her father was the sort of warm security blanket that was deceivingly free from danger. Like nothing had ever changed, nothing ever went bad. "Are those mom's beads?" He asked when they knelt.

"Yeah," she smiled at him. "Yeah I always keep them in my pocket. I never go anywhere without them. Not even here." She noticed the sideways glance he gave to her, questioning but he didn't press her on the matter. He grinned big, showing all of his teeth and winked at her - a trait that she missed desperately; the Joe Hoxie wink that seemed to be an expression of approval that Joey didn't realize she missed as much as she did.

It was just as she was about to turn and bow her head that she saw a shadow on the wall - one that didn't belong. All the shadows in Joey's perspective moved; they were all as animated as those that cast them, though they were rarely copying what the owner did. The shadows everyone saw were mostly stagnant, depending on the light cast to create them. For Joey, it was a window into the soul. It was so rare that a person's shadow was as honest at the barer that she forgot what it looked like. Her father was the first she'd ever seen in which his intention, cast in the shadow, matched what he was doing. For most, it was in stark contrast as the shadows Joey saw showed their true intentions. One with no difference was the sign of a true spirit, one of moral stability or lacking in self doubt. Lately, the only other person she'd witnessed the same trait in once in awhile was Leo. It was a comfort to her.

The shadow she spotted on the wall across from her, broken by a stain glass window, was neither hers nor her fathers - but it was animated like a person.

Animated with an intention far more sinister than should exist in a church.

"Pops...get down!" She hissed at him as she jumped up on the seat of the pew and ran the length of it, sprinting toward the spot behind the holy water basin near the doors. Whoever it was had been silent and was fully of stealth. When she rounded the corner, she felt something sting her shoulder. Her attacker had been expecting her. She glanced down briefly to see a throwing star buried up to the body of the weapon, along with the whole leg of it, into the flesh of her shoulder. She tore it out without thought, scrambling to get it out, but tearing and mangling the flesh around it as the leg was curved. It didn't hurt as much as it should for the sheer adrenaline pumping through her. She snapped her head around just in time to see the silver of a blade whiz passed.

It took her only a matter of seconds to realize that she knew that shadow, she knew it well - no matter what it was covered by. She turned just in time to see Leo's face under the shadow of a hood, disguised by the cloak he wore. "Hey!" She belted out, hoping to get his attention - to see her but he didn't hesitate as she heard the whiz of his katana again, right next to her ear. "LEO!" She barked and dropped to the ground.

He was fast and, she could tell, out for blood. She barely had time to roll out of the way as the point of his blade jammed into the floor where she'd been. There was a hearty shadow cast by the pillar next to the holy water basin and she dove for it. She felt the air stir behind her as he'd almost sliced into her, missing by a hair. She was panting when she came out the edge of a shadow cast by the front pew having closed the distance in under a second; bending the shadows to link and create a doorway for her. That, however, she realized was a grave mistake. She hadn't been thinking and she'd spent so much time protecting those who would heed her word - dolls that would run to save their own lives over her - that she forgot that her father wouldn't abide by her words if her safety was in jeopardy. For her father, a danger towards his daughter meant a danger for him.

It happened fast, faster than Joey was ready for. Joe had exited the pew long before that moment, having run down the aisle to help his child; his only child. When she vanished, that put Joe between she and Leo who, for some inexplicable reason, seemed to be on the warpath. Joey hadn't had time to be relieved to see him, particularly as he tried to spill her guts in the church she'd grown up attending.

"What the **hell**do you think you're doing!" Joe barely demanded; his voice echoed in the belly of the church, bouncing against its tall, arched cathedral ceiling. In a swift motion, Leo's katana crossed at the mid point of Joe's neck, much the same way they had Yuki, as they made an X before slicing through the thick of his flesh. Unlike the vampire's body that evaporated to dust in a second, Joe's body crumpled to the floor in a heap, devoid of its most important organ. The round part of his skull facilitated the rolling of his head before it knocked into the wooden edge of a pew, stopping it in its movement so that Joe's dark open eyes faced upwards, unblinking and wide. Meanwhile, Joe's church attire was saturated in his blood whilst his body lay unmoving on the ground.

Leo's skill was far too tuned for Joe to be a threat. The turtle, who had not spoken a word, marched down the aisle toward Joey who was so stunned her voice was entirely chased away. She had squeaked when she sucked in a breath.

"Are you out of your **mind**?" When her voice returned it came out shrill and loud, well beyond panic. Her blood pressure and temperature skyrocketed as she was rooted in her spot. A nightmare came at her as the candle lit room cast shadows of the scariest nature across Leo's face, hiding him though she could see the smallest bit of blue peaking out behind his hood. It was the same fabric that matched a strip of blue she had tied around her wrist, of which was still present even in this unfamiliar world. The warrior, however, marched forward - no faster or slower than he had before he boldly and carelessly murdered Joey's father. It was as if the man was nothing more than a speed bump that he made no attempt to observe.

The feisty little woman was too stunned for tears right then and she stood her ground. Leo closed the distance in a matter of seconds. "Are you going to kill me too, Leo?" She barked, the hurt and confusion suddenly sinking on her. The man who was capable of protecting her from anything lay dead and bleeding onto the church floor behind him. His life taken by the only man who could take his place. The warrior's cold eyes never even flicked away from Joey's face and he pulled his katana back to attack cleanly. She didn't move, giving him the chance - the faith she always had in him - to stop.

His blade cut through the air and he made no move to hesitate or even stop it. There was a flick of concern, and then defeat, that crossed her face as she realized she was going to die and she wouldn't be fast enough to prevent it. That was, at least, had it not been for a sai that zipped passed her head and caught the blade of Leo's katana, ripping it from his hand.

Leo's head snapped around to where the weapon had come from. It was as if he was a machine in the way he so blindly reacted. Raph sprung from the cantorial banister, aimed for his brother. Leo seemed to momentarily recognize him but it didn't matter, the leader's attention had been distracted from Joey and he sprung to action to attack the red clad turtle. Unlike his brother, Raph was dressed in nothing to disguise his appearance. The two instantly were locked in a ballet of graceful weapons, clattering to sing their violent song. It would have been beautiful if it weren't so dangerous. Raph, however, had the advantage as Leo was down one blade. It didn't slow the leader down as he fought just as fiercely, with no mercy in his eyes or desire to spare Raph's life.

They were connected in a match of equal skill until Michelangelo appeared from behind Leo. He howled, excitedly, a 'YEE-HAW' as he slung his nun chuck around Leo's blade, trapping it in the chain of his weapon and yanking it free of Leo's grasp. Noticing he was surrounded, a smoke pellet hit the ground and he was gone before Raph or Mikey had a chance to realize what their brother had done.

"I can't believe we fell for that, dude!" Mikey whined, coughing over the clearing smoke.

"Yeah. I had him, didn't need'ja help with it." Raph replied, merely annoyed. "What the shell was that about?"

Before Mikey could answer, Raph's attention turned to Joey. He could see the flinching in her movement, sensing her intention to run to the dead body. He immediately turned around, scooping her up by the middle and hoisting her up so her feet no longer touched the ground. "Oh no you don't. Joey I know, you want to go to him but now ain't the time."

"Then when's the time, if not now? Let go of me, Raph!" She screamed, squirming and kicking. She didn't want to point out that it was his brother that had done this; though in truth, her brain was beyond understanding anything but her pain. A pang of hatred shot through her as she wiggled and beat her fists against his shell.

"Yeah lady, now's not the time. Cops'll come any minute now and what'll you tell them? Because let me tell you - you don't want to tell them what you saw." Mikey inquired, having avoided looking at Joe's decapitated corpse, disturbed by the sight. His voice was soft, worried and scared for Joey as well as the dead body that lay a few yards away. "Cops work for Bishop, Bishop's bad news. No go. We need to split like...now. Two seconds ago would have been better."

She didn't know she'd been followed, she'd only escaped the underground refugee camp moments after Yuki kissed her and she told him to back off. For now she needed to clear her head - that meant church, prayer. Raph knew that and had followed Joey, Mikey following Raph on Don's order to make sure he didn't disappear on them again. None of them, however, expected to see Leo.

Joey didn't calm down as Raph held her tighter. There was a point where she broke free, scrambling to get away from him as she skidded across the ground and nearly fell. She was trying to get to Joe and was near him, her fingers reaching out to him, when Raph finally caught her. "Sorry, Joey...we gotta go!" He mumbled, jerking her up as she yelled again to see her father. It was a feat to drag Joey out of the church and to the make shift camp underground. Raph had had to hold her tighter than he would have liked, afraid he might hurt her, but she was fight hard - screaming and beating on his shell the whole way. Mikey kept telling Raph not to let her go.

"What is the problem?" Don asked as soon as they arrived.

"Leo." Raph snapped. "Leo killed someone in the church."

"Not someone! Leo killed my pops! He killed him!" Joey barked at Don, her face red and puffy with anger. Not a single tear lined her cheeks as she stared the purple masked turtle down. Instead, there was intense rage and anger. "Don't you dare ask questions about where he is! I don't care where he is unless it means I can wring his neck - or maybe behead him too. How dare he! My _father_!" Joey smacked Mikey's hand off from her shoulder when he tried to soothe her.

"Did he look like Leo?" Don probed anyway, his voice tentative.

"Yeah - just **fucking** like!" she hissed in a low growl. "Because it **was**Leo. Don't give me your science bullshit right now, Donnie. I'm not in the mood. It was Leo. Leo killed my dad! I saw it. Then he tried to kill me. Wanna talk about tough love - what the hell kind of people are you!"

Don was patiently waiting for her to stop but Mikey stepped in, aware that Don was ready to ask more questions. "Donnie...dude, come on - she just lost her dad. It was Leo. Me and Raph saw him too. Come on lady, lets get you something to drink. I'll be your punching bag, cool? Or if you want we could just talk and you can cry to me. I promise not to tell anyone." Mikey told her, looping an arm over her shoulder and leading her from the room. At one point, Joey tried to shrug his arm off of her but Mikey just held tighter.

"What the hell, Don? I'm kind'a with her this time. I ain't saying I understand it, but I believe her. I saw it - he almost killed her too. And let me tell you, last time I saw him; killing her was the last thing on his mind. Not at least, unless it had to do with being so sickly sweet it resulted in a stroke. Trust me, half the time I wished it happened. Not like that though."

"I suspected this might be the case. I didn't want to tell Mikey because I didn't want to get his hopes up. That's why I'm surprised you're here. Normal. You don't remember anything do you? I suspect the trauma is what's making you forget whatever happened. Bishop doesn't just send in soldiers, he likes to use...us, people from the resistance, as his cavalry."

"Cavalry? What are you talking about? I have no idea what is going on right now. Why are the kids out there? Shit, why are there people out there at all? I don't remember Cagney or the fact that you have a kid of your own. It'd be great if you'd start at the beginning and start talking in Raph and less in Don." the red clad turtle pointed at himself and then at his brother to illustrate his point.

"You really don't remember anything?"

"NO!"

"Remarkable. I think that you and Joey, as Yuki seems to know her - and believes her dead - escaped from the testing and training facilities. I haven't been able to prove that Bishop is brainwashing those that he can salvage and not kill, but I think this evidence might help. You might want to sit down Raph," Don gestured to a chair. "I think you went back to the old lair because it's the last place you remember. Again, the trauma having eliminated any knowledge past then. When you were taken.

"That was almost five years ago. Things were still good then. We'd met Payton and Ash through you a few years before. And Cagney then through them. There was a vampire event in alley or something. I wasn't there for it. You got involved though. That's neither here nor there. You do remember the mages and the visiugo and the fae right?"

Raph stared at Don for a moment. He convinced himself to nod a single time.

"That's whose out there Raph, all the remaining mages and visiugo and fae. Bishop found out about them, we were lumped in with the rest of them, and that was how it started. The war. It began quietly. Testing camps for visiugo where they did horrible things to those people. It caused an uprising when a child was taken. Lucky, his name was Lucky - he was responsible for the first wave that revealed magic kind to the mundane world when his magic parents went after him forcefully. That, in turn, instilled fear in humanity - as we've always experienced. You know this, they scream instead of thank us when we help them.

"Well suspicion sunk in and people were accusing everyone of being 'one of those freaks'. Think the Red Scare with a dash of the Salem Witch Trials. That was how Bishop came in. He promised to eradicate the problem and declared martial law. That was when it became them and us. But it was quickly obvious that we had more power than them. At first. Until Bishop realized he could convert us, the magicks as they call anyone who's not just of mundane origins, to fight back. Severe psychological brain washing and conditioning goes into this. Pain, torture, anything to properly numb the subject to imprint with a new set of values and usually one agenda - killing other magicks. What better way to eliminate us than to have us kill each other. It protects the human population." Don's voice was remarkably bitter.

"You make it sound like we're actually different people. We all share one world, Don." The new arrival was one Raph had never seen or met before. She was carrying a cup of steaming liquid. "Cagney taught me that. It's a visiugo mindset. One world, we have to share it. She asked me to bring you that - oh and to make sure you drink the whole thing." The woman smiled at Don before turning to Raph and offering him the same warm smile. "Hi, I'm Jane."

"Raph." The turtle grunted.

"Oh yeah, I heard a lot about you. Mikey's always saying how much he misses you."

Raph's nostrils flared and he felt his cheeks get warm. It aggravated him the way the thought of Mikey saying such a thing made him feel soft and warm inside. "He's a bonehead." Raph complained automatically in retaliation for the comfy feeling it brought him. "Sounds like this ain't the place to be."

"Actually this is exactly where you want to be. I'll even fetch you a tea like Don's if it'll help." Jane offered and once more Raph felt the same aggravation at her for her hospitality and the way it made him comfortable inside. Raph was sure he wasn't supposed to feel comfortable, ever. Life was about being prepared for the worst, not indulging in the best.

"Naw, I don't need that."

"But do you want it? You know what? Don't answer that, I'll be right back." Jane smiled at him.

When she disappeared again, Raph looked helplessly to his brother. Don smiled, "Yes, she's always like that."

"What kind is she?" Raph asked. "I ain't gonna get used to this thing where there's just people walkin' around everywhere, am I?"

"She's uh...a mage. We're not much for titles anymore...there are so few of us, we're all sort of the same people. Fae or visiguo or mage...or mutant. Most of the fae have died off - gone is their spirit, their belief...their magic dies with them." Don smiled sadly and shrugged a little, for once looking like the Don Raph knew. "Yeah, you get used to it. After a while. There are more important things to be afraid of."

"And do you really have a kid?"

Don chuckled. "You saw her Raph. Her name is Shenny. Well we call her Shenny. Turns out we're compatible, at least at the genetic level, with visiugo - the turtle ones. Yeah, I really have one. I'm proud of her. For all the bad that there is, I'm reminded sometimes how there's good too. She is my hope."


	32. Where Nothing Is What It Seems

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>**Part III  
><strong>Chapter 4:  
><span>Where Nothing Is What It Seems<span>

"Dex?" Leo's voice questioned the king as soon as he heard the massive doors scrape the marble floor of the receiving entry way for guests. He, Mikey and the two unconscious bodies entered what, to the common onlooker, appeared to be an antique house turned miniature museum in a quiet state nature park, but they vanished into the magical world of the faerie king and his kind. They did not pass through the doorway into the wooden floored, creaking piece of history long gone - instead it was a palace, a castle, with high vaulted ceilings and long flowing golden drapes that appeared to be made of liquid rather than sheer fabric. A massive staircase stood to the right, made from virgin marble and the whole place glowed with the sheer majesty where only royals seemed fit to trod.

It far surpassed Kisho's palace that was, for all intents and purposes, accessible to the mundane population. This was like something straight from a fairytale story book. It could easily be the place where Cinderella left her shoe on a magical night or where Snow White stood when she promised to be Prince Charming's queen after being kissed awake.

Leo would, if not so preoccupied with how wounded Raph and Joey were, question - once again - his position in her life. This was how she saw the world. Grand and brilliant, over abundantly unrealistic. She lived bigger than he figured he could dream and that was slightly intimidating to him.

His voice was still echoing on the massive walls when he saw both doors fall shut behind the king and his brother. He and Mikey had placed Joey and Raph on the marble floor with no other direction in the cavernous palace. Light footfalls came on the staircase and all eyes turned to the lady who had hurried in to meet the sound of the king being beckoned.

"Alena...fetch water and prepare the first receiving room." Dex said swiftly but not sharply. The woman merely nodded and darted back up the stairs. "Come, bring them." Dex said turning to the stairs and hurrying up them, taking them two at a time.

Once Raph and Joey were lain out on the two huge, four poster beds with fine quilted blankets Dex turned to the other three brothers. Alena was leaning over their bodies, mopping their forehead with the water Dex asked for and then carefully drying her work. "I must know what happened? What led them to this fate?"

"We don't know." Don answered before either of his brothers could speak. He was clearly distraught and now, more than ever, taking the weight of what had happened on his shoulders. It could have been the magic or it may simply have been Don's mere personality that made him feel responsible.

"That's not what I meant. I understand that you would not have brought them here - had you known the cause. I mean for you to say _what_happened. From my perspective it appears that they are caught in a dream dance. But these things only happen upon initiation."

"Wait, what's a dream dance?" Leo asked swiftly.

Dex and Alena exchanged quick glanced and the woman, who still had not spoken - soft and willowy as if she was as timid as a mouse and fragile as a lean tree branch - nodded. Dex bowed his head and bit into his lip. "Forgive me if I worry." He said sweeping over to the tall window that overlooked the lawn below. "The dream dance is a place yet it is not a place and it is unique to those who experience it. Sometimes a nightmare, sometimes a fantasy. No matter the case it is impossible to escape because those trapped in the dream world believe it to be real. The events that happen. The people they meet. The lives they lead. Even the wounds they encounter." In that instant Joey flinched and her face pinched together. She grunted something that sounded like Leo's name and her head flicked to the side. In the very next instant Raph's body jumped and bruise blossomed on his cheek from seemingly nowhere.

Alena got to her feet and hurried over to him. She touched his face lightly. The bruise seemed to retreat into her fingers but for a brief second her own face showed signs of discoloration under her eye. It too faded after a moment as she magically took on his wounds.

"We have no way of knowing what's going on in there or where they are...mentally. They could be anywhere. It would be a matter of a mix match of their dreams together, what they know of one another and a blended world. It could be somewhere else entirely. But make no mistake - it's real. It's as real to them as this is to us. And it's not matter that makes things real - it's belief. How could one denounce the reality of someone eles's dreams?" Dex asked whimsically yet sadly.

"How do we get them out?" Leo snapped, clearly uncomfortable with whatever they were experiencing.

"Strictly speaking, you don't." Dex said in earnest. "I've never been one for the rules though. But they must choose to return to us and not remain in whatever reality they've created. Few return from a dream dance, and when they do - they're rarely the same. They have witnessed and lived another life. They know things they might not know in this one. There are many realities - we live in but one - their place, at the moment, is just as viable as this one. Perhaps we, here and now, are someone else's dream dance." His eyes locked with Leo's and he offered a brief smile; a smile that made Leo squirm uncomfortably. "What we can do is heal them of whatever put them in this position and hope they opt to return. That their new reality is not as grand as this one. That they are happy here - and not there. Of course we would have to find a conduit for them to return through. It's not as simple as just hoping they come back."

"That's not good enough." Leo said sharply. There was a worry that flared in him, worry that wherever they were was indeed better than the world they lived in now. However, his worry manifested as determination.

"It's a magically educed coma." Don reasoned.

Dex nodded. "You could say that."

"We did this. It must have been an adverse effect of Joey's blood and the curse. They didn't mix because the formula we used didn't count on a fae being the one donating the antidote. They must be magically bonded because it's Joey's blood. That's why she went too!" Don's mind was working in overdrive as he explored the causes out loud.

"Possible." Dex agreed. "Curses and traditional magic don't often mix. What curse?" He asked looking back to Leo.

"It's a long story."

"And one I find important to know if I'm going to help."

"How can we reach them? Help them come back..."

"You're speaking in dark magic and unspeakable dangers-"

Leo cut him off with a taunt to his voice. "Have you ever been in love?" He had watched Joey's face when she said what he also assumed was his name. It wasn't good and he wasn't comfortable leaving them to their own devices when clearly there were dangers in the place they'd found unlike he could even comprehend in that moment.

Dex's face split open in a wide grin, as if Leo had found the very answer to the universe. "I know of love." The young king said the word, love, as if it were the most sacred principal ever. His eyes even danced as he said it. "You have a foundation of knowing the lengths to which you must go if love is the remaining reason to act." Dex's eyes moved to Joey knowingly. Leo didn't have to say it for the king to understand. "Tell me of this curse, that would be where we start. Breaking that will help us reach them."

Don was the one who spoke. He explained the curse of Elisa and how she had died but left Raph very ill. Mikey looked like a dejected puppy when the concept of her only remaining blood being spilled. He went on to talk of Japan and Tokyo as well as the Flight. Dex seemed entirely enraptured with their story while Alena had come to stand behind the king, listening on as if the tale were so bold that it were epically grand. In fact, with the two fae there, and their minds caught up in it - pieces of it came to live around them - battles and words spoken as if by translucent versions of the brother's hardships in a three dimensional movie around them; their imaginations bringing it to life.

"Sleeper." Alena said quietly after Don had finished speaking.

"What?" Don asked as if confused by her single word assessment of his tale.

Dex grinned as Alena's cheeks went pink and she recoiled a little, shyly at being addressed at all. "Just what I was thinking!" the king was full of energy as he jumped to his feet. "Sleeper!"

"What does that even mean?" Don shook his head a little bit.

Dex held up a hand, with his index finger raised as if asking Don to give him a moment. He darted over to the mantle and scooped up a silver bell and gave it a ring. Leo, Don and even Mikey were staring at the king as if he'd lost his mind while he stood still and the room was silent - waiting. Frozen in anticipation. Don looked at Leo and Leo gave his brother a shrug.

"SLEEPER!" Dex cheered as the silence dragged on for several long moments. The young man bowed slightly and with his gesture the three brothers turned to what see what it seemed like the king was reacting to, though there was a sudden chill that seemed to creep up their spines. Leo's shoulders sank, Don's eyebrow ridges rose and Mikey squeaked. A tall, gloomy figure lingered in the doorway. He looked like something from a nightmare. He was tall and bony, with shoulder length unkempt, greasy, black hair, pearly white skin and dark, sunken eyes. He looked unnatural, not in an undead vampire sort of way, rather the opposite, in a very alive and almost glowing with magic sort of way.

With him, the young man they could only assume was named Sleeper, came a dreary chill which seemed like there should be a knee deep layer of fog and creepy chime music like something from a Hitchcock film.

The king swept passed them and greeted the tall, lean teen with a clap on the shoulder - which seemed like it might break his bony body though Dex was by no means thick or muscled. "Our friends are in trouble." Sleepers mouth moved but Leo, Don nor Mikey heard anything exit his lips. "You've heard? Well I suppose that's not surprising. It seems they've fallen by Elisa and an ancient binding curse. Do you think yours would have the secrets of how to undo this?"

The sunken faced boy stared stony faced at the king, his sad blackened eyes dropping a little at the corners. His gothic style seemed outdated, even to the turtles who's understanding of fashion came from television or magazines escaped from their owners in the sewer ducts. His mouth opened and Leo leaned forward a little bit in a vein attempt to hear him. It was as if his voice was on the breeze, words hidden in the airy room. The words were inaudible though there. His whispers were just as eerie as his appearance.

Dex, on the other hand, nodded.

"How can you hear him?" Mikey chimed in but Dex held up a hand.

"High Tea?" Dex asked with wide eyes. "Can you get us in?"

One skinny eyebrow arched on Sleeper's forehead.

"Thank you." Dex said and nodded to Sleeper, who nodded back.

"Oooookay, what just happened? I feel like I missed last week's episode - or, um, maybe all of last season." Mikey said as the lanky teen disappeared through the doorway without even acknowledging the turtles. It was a little more unnerving that they could walk around and no one gave them a second glance than the creepy nature of the happenings around them.

"Sleeper is a Sluagh. Not all fae come from good dreams Mikey." Dex said with a sly little grin. "Sometimes there's use in nightmares and not all nightmare or horrific - some just terrify. The Sluagh keep all the secrets and they share them at High Tea but it's normally a case where only their own are invited. By normally I mean always. It'll be a feat if Sleeper can get us into this afternoon's High Tea. With their knowledge - of everything - I suspect they'll have an answer to your brother's case and how we can handle it. Perhaps even reach them." His eyes cut to Leo and he looked hopeful for a moment at the blue clad leader.

"Have you ever been to one?" Leo asked. "A High Tea?"

"Me?" Dex placed a hand on his chest. "No. I'm not a Sluagh."

"But you're their king. Can't you make-"

Dex held up a hand and glanced toward the ground. "I control no man's destiny - only my own. I won't waiver on my principles for anything. We will ask them and we will follow their rules, just as I would ask them of me. They share everything there, they know all because they hear all but the stories go that the price is their voices. Everything comes with dues and magic isn't always as promising as the story books would have you believe. Most of the time," Dex glanced over at the two beds and he frowned, "it costs more than what those are willing to give."

"Dex..." Alena called to him quickly and the king looked up to the fragile woman. Leo's head turned too, followed by Don and Mikey.

"Whoa." Mikey breathed out as he spotted what she'd called their attention for. On the mantle, which he'd looked at a moment before and only housed the silver bell, were two pieces of aged paper. They were folded so they stood in an A-frame, as if cards. One clearly read, in neat and perfect calligraphy script 'King Dexter Murphy'; the other 'the Leader Leonardo'. They seemed to appear from nowhere.

Dex beamed and clapped Leo on the shoulder as he stepped up next to him. "Looks like we have a date."

"What about us?" Don asked glancing at Mikey.

Dex leaned around Leo to look at him. "You sir, I think, need a lesson in accepting what you've begun to embrace. You're welcome in my palace - please explore and learn. We have a library. I'm sure you'd find something interesting there."

* * *

><p>The prospect of a library interested Don beyond anything else. Magic books that could answer many of the questions he'd had. With Donatello, there were many questions to be thought up. Alena had not had the time to take him personally as she was charged with watching the two sickly patients. However, she had called a squire to show him to the library as he'd asked. The squire had come with Ash, Payton and the woman who'd been on the lawn named Cagney.<p>

"Help him." Dex had told the blonde woman, who's mouth moved something like a fish when she was given the task of handling the skeptic. "He believes somewhere inside, he just needs some guidance on how to tap that creativity."

Before she could argue, Dex had announced that he and Leo would be departing immediately for downtown, where the Sluagh matriarch kept her house of mystery and secrets - possibly answers.

She mostly followed as Don touched the spines of each book he passed with awe and adoration. It was only after the third row that he'd moved down and refrained from pulling any books off the shelves that she spoke. "They don't bite," she told him quietly. "You seem to love them, yet won't interact with them. Are you looking for something specific?"

"Yeah, I sort of am," he mused

"Maybe I can help you."

"I wish I could read them all," he added honestly before sweeping around to face her. "You're in here. The castle - are you a fae?"

She shook her head immediately. "No. I'm enchanted. Like you."

He snorted, "I find it hard to believe that you're anything like me."

She furrowed her brow. "Is that because I don't know what it's like to have a shell or is it because you're feeling quick to judge? One of these is true, maybe both," she told him sharply. "I get that you're worried and that's probably taking up a huge portion of your attention but you could accept some help. I can help you understand. I'm a visiugo, I understand most magic."

Don turned to her swiftly, almost instantly on the defense. His experience with visiugo had mostly yielded pain. There were few that he trusted. Naturally, she was one who's circumstances should indicate that he could trust. She was, after all, a friend of the king. He expected wings any second; big black ones to unfold from her back ominously. He considered going for his bo staff but instead took a small step back. "A raven?"

"No."

Don's mind chugged for a moment. Logically he knew there were other visiugo; of all sorts, but he seemed to forget that detail when the half animal-half human magic folk appeared as his only experience had been with the blood thirsty ravens. "Then what?"

"Does it matter?" she asked.

"Sorta, yeah," Don insisted, slightly flustered by her coy and secretive nature.

She sighed and took a step forward. "You're only going to find half the answers you're looking for in books. I'm a doctor, I know. It took me about ten years to realize that books are only half of the knowledge there is to know. I had to experience it to understand it. It's a good starting point but you've been thrust into a practical examination and it seems to me that you're floundering for answers because you're relying on something that's not there. You should start to take in your empirical evidence through way of your senses and reassess your hypothesis. Sometimes the scientific method doesn't work, you seem to be the sort that goes by the book and therefore would understand logic over insanity. But the world is pretty insane sometimes." She leaned forward a little and smiled smugly. "I'm a turtle."

"Now that's insane." Don wanted to believe her, in fact the moment she opened her mouth he was somewhat enthralled with her. He went from instant hackles raised thinking she was a raven to realizing she was a doctor, she understood him logically and she was pretty; he couldn't deny that. The fact that she claimed to be a turtle made him recoil some, as if she was teasing him.

Of them all, Don was the easiest to be enamored by girls. Yet the most awkward, perhaps. He'd entertained a crush on April, briefly noticed that Renet was sort of attractive - albeit dim witted - and there was a brief interlude with a blind woman. He couldn't help but notice that Cagney was a leggy blonde and, by his standard, beautiful. There was, more than that, the rather hefty smarts that sat above her shoulders that Don found absolutely inspiring. A woman with a brain, looks and understanding...Don didn't think they could exist.

"Perhaps," she mused, "but no less true."

"Are you...really a turtle visiguo?"

"I am," she nodded. "For the better part of my life. Visiugo traits come on at puberty. I don't really remember a time that I couldn't alter my form but it certainly explains the love for sun. We are in Florida, after all." She grinned.

"How...old are you?" It dawned on Don that she mentioned it took her ten years of experience to learn a lesson and he wondered if she was being serious or facetious. She didn't look much older than him and he was pretty sure that he and his brothers were only in their mid-twenties. By the time they could start counting he'd assumed they were five or so.

She grinned again and the smile lit up her face. "Don't you know that's rude? Never ask a lady her age."

Don's cheeks immediately went rosy and he felt suddenly sheepish. "Oh, well...I - I grew up in a sewer, can I get a pass on etiquette?"

"I'm only kidding Don. My name is Cagney by the way and I'm forty-two; but by traditional mundane standards...about half that, give or take. We live longer by a fair amount. It's normally, by the rule of thumb, that the way we age in human years is raised to the first power of ten when compared to that of our animal kind. That is to say that the average length of our animal's natural life span, times ten, is how long you can expect a visiugo to live; under ideal circumstance. If a cat is twelve before death, by human standards, in the right environment, under the right, and natural conditions you could expect that visiugo to live for one-hundred and twenty years. Though most visiugo don't actually live at peace with nature, they are interrupted by other cultures and races and societies. But most live long and full lives. The aging, it's also not equally balanced, we normally mature faster and then age much slower once we peak in maturity."

"You speak math!" Don teased, in awe of her explanation. "I really didn't need the second explanation break down."

"I didn't mean to offend you," she shook her head.

"No, no! Not at all. I'm not offended," he said swiftly, hoping not to lose her interest. "Maybe...maybe you could tell me about the Sluagh and High Tea." He floundered with something to say for her to stay for a minute longer and he figured, for a second, he wasn't any more graceful than Mikey had been with Koko.

"I'll tell you what I know. Remember, I'm not a fae. I don't understand all of their ways. We're different from them; we visiugo. Come on, sit and I'll see if I can't explain. It's sometimes hard to follow Dex when he's in his most raw form."

Don sighed a little, relieved that she would stay and nodded hopefully. He figured, if he could build a strong enough rapport over the next few days - should they be there that long, he could ask to see her shell. He assumed, like the ravens had wings mixed with their human forms, she had a body similar to his. That, to Don, was alluring in a way he hadn't been ready for as the thought crossed his mind.

Trying to hide his intrusive thoughts, he settled down opposite Cagney, prepared to listen.

* * *

><p><strong>::Author's Note::<strong>

We're not really sure if anyone is following this anymore. We sure hope that those of you who are following this enjoy this chapter. We've had the majority of this chapter written for a long while, but finally decided to finish it and polish it up. We hope you enjoy it. Please, if you have a moment, let us know what you think. We'd really love to hear. Thank you!


	33. Did I Remember to Say Cheers?

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>**Part III  
><strong>Chapter 5:  
><span>Did I Remember to Say Cheers?<span>

Leo followed Dex and was surprised to find the teenager had a car. In fact, it was thoroughly bizarre for him to imagine the king of a fae kingdom, who lived in a palace as ornate and extravagant as the fae castle, drove something so mundane as a sedan. His puzzled look never made it to words but Dex, however, was quick to explain-with a quirky smile on his lips.

"We are subject to our humanity...a fae cannot live in this banal world without a human spirit to bind to. I do homework, arguably far less than I should, and I attend classes. I once went to a football game, for a friend. Curious creatures they are, quarterbacks. And what is more human than traffic?" He gestured brightly to the vehicle. Leo, however, shook his head.

"I don't know much about what's human and what's not," Leo told him as he climbed into the back seat, slumping down to hide himself from the windows. The car was an old one, probably far older than Dex was, and had a faded interior.

"Good!" Dex exclaimed as the engine roared to life. Leo looked at him, the king's body twisted around to peer back at him. He wanted to trust this good natured boy, as it was hard to call him a man. And it was hard not to trust him, with such a genuine smile on his face. "We are brothers in our ignorance." Leo frowned a little bit, words lost on him as his eyes moved back to the window. He watched the tall, thick trees pass by. He'd never seen so much green foliage, topped off with heavy palm trees, in his life.

It was not far and they arrived ten minutes early to an ancient abode that looked as if it were on its last leg. If any leg at all. The wooden frame was crooked, the paint was peeling, and the dying grass and brown shrubs, next to the wilting flowers, showed serious signs of neglect. The windows were all closed and the curtains were drawn tight; there was not one welcoming thing about the old house. But it was not at all intimidating to Leo, as many passers-by might be frightened by its uninhabited appearance and ghostly nature.

After all, he came from a sewer.

Around the abode was a high fence, most of it covered in unkempt and sometimes rotted through shrubbery. Thick branches, void of anything but withering leaves, at least gave some cover for Leo as he climbed out of the car. He tucked himself as low as he could, though Dex was quick to grab his wrist when the turtle meant to hide himself. "Don't." He shook his head and gestured around. "There are many things that lurk here that can't be seen either. Trust me, no one is looking...an eye sore like this, though beautiful to the Sluagh, have long ago been forgotten by the neighborhood. The only people that know you're here are those that invited you." Leo frowned but nodded - he had no choice but to trust Dex.

The bell gave a ring that sounded like a magnificent grandfather clock striking midnight, so loud and echoing it rattled Leo's very carapace. The door was opened by an exceedingly tall looming figure. His appearance could be described similarly to Sleeper's, though this man was aged several years past the dark teenage boy. He extended his hand, palm up, to Leo and Dex. Dex moved forward first, handing the yellowed invitation to him and the man - who could be described as a sickly creature - gave a slow, graceful bow, thus allowing the king to enter without reading the note. Leo followed Dex's lead with the same results, those his eyes lingered back on their escort.

The house could have been beautiful inside. It reminded Leo of extensive mansions he'd seen on television, only covered in years of cobwebs and dust. This house was made of all dark oak, so deep in color that it seemed endless but mostly withered and gray with age. The curtains being drawn made the heat linger in the air and gave the impression of evening outside, despite the fact that they had just come in from a cloudless and blue, two o'clock sun. It smelled of something warm and sweet, as well as flowery and spiced; however it also had an overpowering putrid and rotten aroma too. The many shelves off the walls were covered in cracked nick-knacks of various shapes and sizes, that in their prime might have been of great value. Now they simple took up every available space on the walls of the sitting room to the right.

The tall man turned and headed down the hall that led straight ahead. Leo and Dex followed without any words. The man's one step covered two of both Leo and De. He seemed to be used to such things as he loped along very slowly and they were able to keep up with his wide gate. His slim body gave the illusion that he was much taller than he actually was, though Leo figured he was at least six and half feet tall. His long face was situated in a frown and his sunken cheeks matched his black eyes, both slightly unnerving.

He brought them into another sitting room where several large, cushy and moth eaten chairs awaited them. After sitting down silently, alone, for several minutes, a woman arrived. She was like the rest. Her clothes were outdated, ruffled, lacy and black, and her hair was long and dark while her porcelain white skin glowed. The shadows around her eyes were heavier and gloomier than the others, but she still carried the glamorous, strange, and magical aura that the rest did.

She carried a misshapen tray, with a steaming chipped teapot and three cracked cups and saucers, with spoons, sugar and cream in little jars, and a plate of stale and possibly rotten pastries. She placed the tray on the coffee table that the chairs surrounded. A wary smile passed momentarily over her thin, dark lips as she nodded.

She mouthed a word that looked like 'Welcome' and gestured to the tea. Leo looked at the cups and teapot; like the nick-knacks, this was probably once a very expensive set of high quality serving dishes. Dex had explained on their trip over that the Sluagh liked things that had outlived their regular wear. It was a symbol of their dreary life. They liked bugs, particularly spiders, and Dex had no doubt in his mind that the Mistress of this house was named for a spider with reason. The cobwebs that lingered throughout the house were probably made by what the Sluagh who lived there considered 'friends', and that's why the corners were left unclean and full of spider silk.

Dex exchanged a quick glance with Leo, as if indicating that he should accept the offer, and, as a result, both reached for a teacup simultaneously as the hostess left them with the china and sweets. There was a moment of concern in the leader as he wondered about whether the tea would somehow be as rotten as the pastries appeared.

"Don't expect to feel warmly welcomed," Dex whispered through tight lips as he poured the tea in Leo's cup, "they're social creatures only among their own, passing off everyone's gossip in secret. That's Black Widow, she might give the impression of hospitality but expect her to soon be spiteful, show distaste at our presence, and act politely rude when the other guests arrive."

Leo nodded a single time and didn't speak to the any of the Sluagh who were beginning to arrive. Occasionally, he would bow softly when a sullen face would greet him similarly, with a nod, however he mostly sat quietly and sipped his tea. He expected for at least one of them to look at him strangely, but none seemed to - it was as if they all anticipated his presence.

He had been surprised at the quality of the beverage served. He had anticipated it to be somewhat putrid, but this tea was better than any Master Splinter had ever prepared for various events and rituals. He figured the faerie Sluagh must use magic when making it to please and entertain their guests, it was the only thing in this place that would actually meet the standard at a normal gathering. Not that Leo knew much about any 'normal' gathering or event.

The men, of all ages, came in once fine top hats with heavily jeweled walking canes – missing a stone here and there. While the ladies, also of varying age, wore fancy moth eaten dresses ruffled with yellowed lace and similar well worn fineries – however there was one other commonality among their look. They all were heavily draped in black as if waiting for death, mourning it or celebrating it - he couldn't be sure which.

He, with his exposed green skin and shell, appeared to be a jade thrown into a sea of onyx. Though they didn't give him curious looks, he did draw their attention - as did the king. It was evident by the way their heads came together upon spotting them and they obviously whispered to one another in tones so low that only their companions could hear. Leo figured that even if he was that other person, he wouldn't hear their voices.

He wasn't sure how much time had elapsed but quickly the second sitting room in the warm house was filled with people. Every chair was taken and those that didn't have seats lined the walls, sipping their tea and whispering to one another. Leo couldn't hear the specifics in the whispers, however he could rarely (but on occasion) make out a name or place. Once he thought he heard New York and something with his name in it but he couldn't be certain. Finally the one who had delivered tea to them stood and the already quiet room, despite the conversations going on around them, went still.

She raised her hands, "Welcome friends." Her announcing voice was one that he would use when speaking quietly to a companion, but in the motionless room, her voice carried just to the walls. Everyone around them smiled in awkward little grins, bowed their heads, and gave brief waves returning the greeting. Her soft voice was almost musical as she went on, "I'm sure you've all noticed our outsider guests today. Please welcome our king Dexter Murphy and his companion Mr. Hamato Leonardo – " she paused to allow the crowd of skinny, shallow eyed and gloomy people to pass whispers about them quickly. Leo didn't bother wondering how she knew his full name. The fact that people, faeries, like this existed at all and seemed to know all the secrets of the world was something Leo, though never truly would, was becoming increasingly aware of.

The woman bowed at the waist deeply and said, "I am Mistress Black Widow, this is my friend Lady Morganna," she indicated an aged woman sitting uncomfortably straight in a chair at her left. "We are to understand you seek information."

Dex and Leo, once more, exchanged glances. Leo waited for the child king to speak as he had no basis to explain that which happened, or for how to properly communicate with these people based on their etiquette. If he was to do it his way he would have already been standing up demanding help, not drinking their tea and being the specimen for their gossip.

Dex carefully placed his cup on the saucer and the saucer on the mahogany coffee table with feet like a lion standing on a ball. It was scratched across it's once pristine lacquered finish and bits of the wood was rotted away. "My lady -" he started but the mistress of the house held up a hand and Dex fell silent.

"I meant...him," she then gestured to Leo with the same hand, palm up. Her long and bony fingers seemed skeletal as she offered the proverbial speaking floor to him.

Leo looked up to her and then back to Dex, his mouth slightly agape. It wasn't exactly his sort of forum. If they all were clad in the black uniform of the Foot Clan he'd better be able to speak their language, but trying to put to words what he'd experienced and ask for help from these people seemed foreign to him. He was a diplomat when he had to be, but this was certainly unlike any he'd ever been in.

"Yes, about Josephine," the old, withered woman with milky colored blue eyes spoke suddenly, as if plucking a thought from his mind, one he hadn't even realized he'd thought yet. Her gaze, behind what seemed to be blind eyes, was unnerving and Leo straightened in his spot. "You would rather not know what she thinks of you right now, I assure you. Her reality is very different from yours. Your worlds have diverged and soon she will find comfort in the arms of a man she once loved."

Leo's head drew back and his eyes narrowed in on her, Lady Morganna.

"If you don't speak." One side of the woman's mouth turned. It came and went, the brief horrifying grin, over her sullen face before Leo could even process it. When any of the Sluagh smiled, it was more frightening than when they didn't, it was like a mad clown in a fun house sort of wicked smile.

The threat was received and Leo understood her meaning. In fact, they seemed to have silent agreement in their understanding of one another as they never broke gaze, no matter how unnerving her cloud eyes were. "My brother and Joey - Josephine Hoxie - are in a dream dance. Raph, he was attacked by a vampire and nearly died, she cursed him. To save us, my other brothers and myself, he made a deal with Kenshin Miyagi for protection. But it didn't save his life or break his curse. While we were trying to undo the curse we...must have gotten something wrong in the incantation and it threw them into this state.

"Don, my other brother, and Ash Lionel - they thought that Joey's blood could save him from the curse as it was meant to be her blood, that of the vampire who cursed him to begin with, that was meant to reverse it. Before she died, the last blood of her body was Joey's. But something went wrong," he glanced to Dex as if begging him to correct him where he was wrong. When the king said nothing, Leo looked back at Morganna, "Don thinks, now, it's because Joey is a fae - like you - that she pitched them into this magical coma. How can we get them out?"

Leo looked around the room as a hushed whisper swept the room, heads bent together as the Sluagh began to chatter in their silence about what he had said. Black Widow's hand halted them. "Your first mistake is assuming she's anything like us. Josephine is brazen, perhaps it's time that she's paid for her actions," the mistress of the house, Black Widow, looked down her nose at the turtle. "Know you no hospitality? You come, to my home, invited," there was a sharpness to her whisper that Leo couldn't mistake - her distaste for his very presence, "yet threatened."

Leo looked to Dex, puzzled. The king nodded to Leo's katanas, both of which stood out behind his head. The warrior bowed lightly. He considered defending his possession of the weapons on his back, but instead stood and gracefully unsheathed them. He placed them at Black Widow's feet. "What does she mean - about Joey?"

The woman's sullen faced and sunken eyes danced, he was sure she was half amused by his question though the rest of her face showed no signs of anything emotional. Her words of Joey's comfort scared him most, though he showed no worry...he was fairly certain they knew of it too as they seemed to know all. Black Widow looked at him, from where she stood over him as he still knelt where he had placed his katana. Unlike in the palace, he didn't have to be enchanted. This house was not magical, though it's occupants were. She waited for him to sit back in his seat before she glanced at Morganna.

The old woman with the milky eyes and wrinkly skin, whose lips had withered entirely away so her mouth was nothing more than a slit in her face, merely stared at him. Or seemed to further stare, Leo wasn't sure if she could see or not. "That was your question to answer, what about Josephine?"

Leo, then, wondered if the old woman was mad. She seemed to know he'd thought that too and she laughed in a voice that cracked though it was as if someone had turned the volume down on the television despite the wide, gaping laugh of the woman. "We're all mad. You've come to the wrong house - the wrong place if you think any of those you've been surrounded by are anything less. Your friend, the king, he's certainly his own brand of insane and even Miss Hoxie isn't right by 'normal' standards. Perhaps you should consider your company before judging others. Consider yourself. Tell me, if this could all be a dream - all of it - would it tempt you? Would you sentence yourself to a fate of never knowing the truth of the world hidden under that of the Mundane population? Would you write your feelings for Miss Hoxie, and hers for you, off if it meant you could be warm in your bed, safe and naive?"

Leo stared at her, conflicted for his answer. He would for so many things - it would mean they were all safe; but a tiny part of him screamed no, that he wanted to feel all that he'd felt over the last few months. He had never felt as he did when he was with Joey and that was something for the leader who forever pushed his own needs to the back. Furthermore these were experiences, and for as rough as he and his brothers' lives had been he wouldn't change any of their adventures. Those adventures defined them.

"No."

"What do you want of us?" Morganna leaned forward and Leo felt the heat of all the eyes on him. The background whispering had stopped. "He doesn't trust that we can help, that we understand." She went on as he didn't answer immediately.

"Allow me," Black Widow placed a hand lightly on Morganna's thin and frail, boney shoulder. "You are skeptical Hamato Leonardo. It's because of what you've seen and what you've experienced. You always question your skill, yes I looked into your history, when I knew you'd arrive among us today. You spent nearly a year teetering on the path that would lead to a very dark future because of something you considered a failure to your family. It would take a soul journey and a fat, old man to guide you to a lesson you already knew the answer to. You came to a conclusion then and found your former spirit healed; but you'll forever carry the physical marks in that broken piece of shell over your shoulder there. You harbored unrequited feelings for the lady Karai, mistakenly. You feel responsible for them - your brothers - and everyone you meet for that matter. You even take this magical epiphany that Hamato Raphael and Josephine are in, this rapture, as a personal defeat. You should have been able to save them - you should even still or you wouldn't be here."

"What do you want of me?" Leo growled through gritted teeth, his eyes narrowed forward. He had never felt so reduced to the base components of his soul.

Black Widow leaned over and placed her face close to the side of his head. "To admit it. You require help."

Leo leaned back so their eyes could meet. He remembered Raph, his voice - his spirit, unwieldy and untamable - his childhood and his life. He remembered Joey, her smile - her words - her wit - her love for him. "Help me bring them back." He spoke the words slowly, carefully and with intention and emphasis placed on each.


	34. No Desire to See Through My Own Eyes

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets**  
><strong>Part III<strong>  
>Chapter 6:<br>I Have No Desire to See Through My Own Eyes Anymore

* * *

><p>"Don't do this..." Dex pleaded. "Leo, there must be another way. You don't know what you're getting yourself into. The Sluagh, they have answers but not ones you should take so seriously. It's but one option. We can look for others."<p>

Their feet barely touched the surface of the concrete path outside the mistress's house before Dex spoke. The news hadn't been good and the wispy, mysterious voice of the sluagh still rang in his ears. Leo knew what he had to do - that had been made clear and it was why he was mostly ignoring Dex's warning.

"You don't understand what they're asking of you. It sounds simple, but the repercussions aren't! To simply step into their dreamdance requires binding your spirit to one of theirs. And I mean not in an arbitrary sense but the idea that you are one person...should they die, you die too. Should they be wounded, your body will bleed. It is not as simple as you think!" Dex's cheeks were flushed pink in his frustration.

"He is my brother, Dex. I will do whatever it takes and should that mean binding my soul to his, then fine. I will." Leo spoke firmly, his eyes never catching Dexter's in his determination.

"No! It doesn't, weren't you listening?" the fae king sighed heavily, "It's not Raph's soul you can bind to because Raph's soul does not belong to him. He gave it, carelessly I would say, away to another and that contract is valid magically. That leaves Joey and even then, you can't guarantee that it will take you to wherever she is. We can anchor you to the real world, giving you a path back, but all your soul can do is attempt to find the dreamdance she is already in. You could be a thousand miles apart from her and yet still in the world its created. It's a big place and finding Joey or Raph could be like finding a proverbial needle in a haystack**_ if_** the place it leads you to is a world at all! The dreaming doesn't act so simply as you think or as they put."

A silence filled the fast moving car as Leo's eyes swept up to the palm trees standing tall outside. The thick leaves were swaying in the gentle wind and for a moment, Leo was reminded of Japan. The soft footsteps, the serene atmosphere, the beautiful sky and the equally as peaceful people. He missed it...the world, he knew, could never be a simple as Japan had felt. He didn't expect it to be, but he certainly wished right then it was that simple.

They had arrived at some point and in their silence, descended the rolling hill up to the white house that was the fae castle.

"Time is of the essence," Leo finally spoke as their feet passed the threshold into the ornately beautiful palace, "You've indicated that yourself. Wherever they are, time is moving at any rate it wants. And with all the seconds that tick by, the further and further my brother and Joey get into some fantasy which could destroy the very foundation of who they are. No, I'm not waiting any longer."

"Overconfidence is your weakness!" Dex snapped in a fluster, just as Mikey and Don poured into the room with Cagney only a few steps behind. With Leo gone and Don somewhere in the castle, Mikey had gone looking for his estranged brother. He found him with the doctor whom he was knee deep in visigo theory, which made Mikey's brain hurt. Even still, he'd stuck by and tried to pretend like he knew what they were talking about.

Mikey's mouth puckered and his eyes shot open wide and round. Don glanced toward Cagney who watched Dex, the typically airy and abstract teen, bark at the blue clad turtle. It was a sight far too familiar for Mikey and Don, though neither expected someone like Dex to be on the receiving end of Leo's stubbornness.

"And pride." the king added. "Those are the part she left out in the_ explanation_ of your spirit. If she had gone further and wished to unravel your very fabric, she would have said them too. With good reason! I will be damned if I stand by and let you think you know something of that which you know nothing. Not even the strongest fae would go in there after them. Did you stop to think what this means for any of you! The safety precautions, the fact that you might not even return - failure doesn't simply mean not succeeding, it means possible death and forever imprisonment!"

"I won't fail." Leo demanded through tight lips.

"Have you? Failed before?" Dex's voice evened and he seemed almost playful in his question, which irritated Leo in a manner he was unprepared to deal with. "Because even if you haven't, it's clear that you often _feel_ like you do. It's that very feeling that counters your pride and prevents you from being greater than you already are. Your belief in your failure is as strong as your confidence. And because you feel responsible, you're willing to do anything to right it - but going in there without the proper outlook and the proper determination will get all three of you killed. You have the determination. You must leave the other preconceived notions behind you - or you will fail."

"Leo...what's he talking about?" Don took a small step forward, worry written on his soft face.

"I'm going in after them."

Dex held up a hand before Don could question further, "with the caveat that his soul will be bound to one of theirs."

"Whoa, what's at mean?" Mikey held up both his hands and shook his head as if disagreeing with the very idea coming at him.

"It means that he will forever -_ forever_," Dex snapped his head toward Leo as if to reiterate the seriousness of what he was saying, "be connected to them. And they to him. Once it's done, it can not be undone. A piece of them each will reside in the other...indefinitely. I cannot express how serious this is and the repercussions. The lasting effects...should you do this, you must understand what you are promising of your spirit. And to the person it binds to."

"There's no other way." Leo, standing all with his fist clenched, told them all firmly. "If it means saving Raph...if it means bringing them back...I'll do it. Now please, if you will not do it for me, I am certain I can find someone else who can. I can assume you aren't the only fae in all of this kingdom and I will get there...I **_will_**."

Don's shoulders sank as he let out a long sigh. His hand touched Mikey's shoulder as if silently warning him not to fight their brother, their leader, on this. Don knew that voice - he knew that stance, he knew that Leo. There was no talking him out of this, no matter how logic superseded his passion. "What do we have to do?" Don questioned, taking another step forward.

Dex's eyes search the ground and he shook his head. It was with reluctance that he spoke. He, for some reason, seemed to yield to Don's interjection. Leo's determination was clear and Dex saw no other option but to aide. "Remove your weapons and lie down. Give me one of them. When you're ready to return from the dance, after we've gotten you to them, search for your lost katana. When you want it - it will appear and when you take it," Dex's hand wrapped around one hilt of Leo's weapon, "I will pull you back through with this." he lifted the weapon as if to further indicated the anchor and therefore Leo's path back. "Should you forget, you might very well be stuck there. While you're in there, you must convince them to find their own reason to return. They will likely know that something is amiss but convincing them that they are trapped in their own minds will be...complicated."

Leo nodded once, having lain down on the bed, in the same room as his brother and Joey's body, as he was instructed to do.

"Good luck. You _will_ need it," Dex offered with a sigh. "And I apologize about having handicapped you, allowing only one of your weapons to follow."

"I'll be fine." Leo's hand closed around the katana at his side, laying with him in the bed. What happened next, whatever magic needed to be done, Leo didn't know - but the next thing he knew his head spun wildly.

* * *

><p>Logic told Leo that he'd been laying on the bed second before. It was daytime then and he was surrounded by a building and people he knew. Realty was something entirely different as he felt his feet on the cool asphalt of a street; he was crouched low to the ground, his single katana in one hand. He could feel that it was night from both the temperature and the light levels - rather, it was nearly dawn as the the gray sky was streaked with pink.<p>

He was had moved before he thought as to what he was doing. It was only when he was on the fire escape of an apartment building that dated dozens of decades back as part of the city's historic heritage that he realized he'd even jumped to action. He felt very exposed in the street and here, in the shadows, even before the sun hit the city, it wasn't safe for him to be that open.

He'd heard voices, loud and many. He crouched low and slipped his only katana back into it's holster strapped to This shell. Watching, waiting as the mob voices got closer. When the sounds proved to be a true mob he, in a quick series of jumps, leapt to the roof and peered over the edge. He was used to being in the city at this hour. He could estimate the behavior of the sun's rays as they started washing over the city. It was predictable only because he used these hours to push himself to practice harder and train more. He ran, from roof top to roof top, from here to downtown and back again everyday.

He couldn't make out what the chaos was about as the crowd, the mob, swelled and then sank in on itself. It was definitely chaotic and the pushing and shouting seemed to be rallied behind a like minded cause. He had not seen the city that way, ever. It felt like New York, the one he knew, if some of it's personality had been pressed into submission. It _felt_ darker, and Leo couldn't figure out why. It was, perhaps - he figured, just a feeling.

He felt anxious as in these situations people often got hurt. The glow of the morning rays inched up over his shell, washing the city in light. It was then that he understood what was happening. Leo felt his breath catch in his throat. Questions, dozens, sprang to mind but first he grappled with the concept of who, if anyone, he should help.

The crowd peeled back some and Leo was able to see, in the eye of the crowd, where a woman was pinned to the road. Six or seven large men held her there and the group around them had gone briefly silent when the first light of a new day came to life. However, once the world was lit by natural sun rather than artificial lamps, the crowd came back to life - roaring with terrifying energy. He barely caught sight of Elisabeth Penn's face, pressed into the ground from where she was pinned.

Leo didn't have a chance to even make a decision about which he would assist. It was too late. The first golden ray that shone across her body caused smoke to curl up in the air like a little ribbon leading back to her pending doom. In a brilliant and sudden flash, accompanied a rattling shriek that was reminiscent of nails on a chalk board or a live lobster being thrown into boiling water, she roared into flames.

The entire crowd breathed out away from the central focal point, where the vampire they'd caught was more like a bonfire than a person. There was clear awe on their faces, smitten with the seemingly beautiful sight of Elisa's demise.

Leo took a small step back. Elisa had still been alive in this world and the people - they clearly knew about what she was as it was evident that they'd indented her death and knew how to achieve it. He didn't know how he felt about their actions, should the life of the vampire be spared or if they were right in their murder. It was, when he stepped back, that he heard it and all thoughts of Elisa were gone. The smallest pat of a footfall. His eyes narrowed and his attention, his focus, moved behind him.

Leo's katana was out in an instant as he whipped around. The blade was parallel to the rooftop, glinting dangerously in his line of view and his free arm was prepared to attack where his missing katana should be. When his eyes swept the rooftop, and he saw nothing, he didn't let it deceive him and didn't let his guard down though he did start to lower his weapon slightly. It was then that the attack happened.

A set of double katana cut through the still air and Leo barely caught the incoming attack with a deflection of his single weapon, pinging against the blades of his attacker, and a roll out of the way. He wasn't down for long as he sprang to his feet the second they touched the roof again. He couldn't reasonably deduce where his attacker had been hiding; nothing, in fact, seemed to make sense as Leo felt off of his game. What sort of adversary could he be up against that would make him so oblivious to his surroundings? It distracted him only for a second, as he chided himself for preparedness, or lack thereof. He didn't linger on the idea as he knew the first pass wouldn't be the last.

The only thing he could do was begin to anticipate what came next, or risk failing once more.

He was right, and it was only when his katana collided with another - metal on metal - that his eyes caught that of the man who was on him. Leo faltered, briefly. How could this be? It was his face - familiar in so many ways, his body, his color, his shell, some of the same scarring on his plastron - they were identical. His twin, in that brief second, didn't hesitate to take the advantage of Leo's surprise.

The hollow eyes and expressionless mask of his own face was burned into Leo's brain. It stung just like the sensation as he felt the rip of his flesh when his adversaries weapon cut into the meaty part of his bicep. Leo flinched again and rolled his shoulder back in an auto-defense to cater to his lame arm. A flash of red blinked before his eyes...he was not to be bested. It was the same level of rage and anger that Raph could achieve - that Leo kept locked down so well - and it now fueled him. He even let it consume him, for he knew it would give him strength.

Yet as he swung his katana with precision and skill forward, his doppelganger did the same back, deflecting each and every one of his advance. It would be a poetic dance for them, in their gentle footwork and beautifully executed swipes of the air...had Leo's rage not been so prevalent. He was angry - he was frustrated and irritated - by the skill of his adversary and the bleak outlook for his success. It didn't help that his injured arm made itself aware, burning in pain while the hooded enemy tried to replicate the damage on Leo's wielding arm.

Leo jerked back, ducking low to the ground and rolling as he circled around his opponent. It would work to distract on most, but when he came to his feet, he was looking directly at...himself. There was no delay, no amount of distraction, to give Leo a chance to recover. Instead, a blade jerked at his body time and time again, swinging with all its might and fury as he tried to compensate with only one katana. he was back up into a corner, he felt his shell hit the brick edge of the building, and for the first time in a long time, he felt frightened.

Those expressionless, machine eyes bore into his soul with an intensity Leo had never seen on his own face. Could this monster truly be him? He was certain he was incapable of attacking so mercilessly yet here he was...faced with a creature so much like him and yet so not.

His twin could anticipate his moves, as they were ones he might also employ. As a result, the Leo that attacked more like a machine than a person had the advantage. Leo had to recognize that being down one katana, considering his opponent, actually was the handicap that Dex spoke of. It was because of that, that Leo realized he had to do something that he rarely did - something he hated. In a single swoop of his body, he climbed over the roof's edge he was backed into and landed on the fire escape below.

_Retreat_.

* * *

><p>AN : We both want to thank you all dearly for continuing to read this story and follows its winding path. We hope that you have enjoyed the magic heavy world we've thrust the turtles into, it's been quite a journey for them and its not over quite yet. We both can see the light at the tunnel, but it is but a pin-point of light surrounding by a path we are still winding down. So we hope you enjoy following us still as we enjoy bringing you along. Thank you again for reading and your feedback is _always_, without a doubt, our inspiration.


	35. Faith Dear, Enough to Get You By

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>**Part III  
><strong>Chapter 7:  
><span>Faith Dear, Enough to Get You By Until We're Home<span>

The fire escape wasn't the path of retreat Leo had hoped it would be. His mirror, his shadow, seemed to have anticipated this. Leo couldn't tell if it was because the other 'him' knew it was what he, the true Leo, would do. Or if Leo's tactic was one that was employed by others, a traditional end that this monster expected.

Below him, the crowds were still celebrating Elisa's fiery demise and would no doubt turn their sights on him and have a similar solution to the problem that was a mutant turtle in the streets of New York. If they knew how to kill a vampire, they would surely tear him limb from limb, and all because he wouldn't attack an innocent crowd. He wouldn't hurt those people without properly knowing their villainy. If they were of Bishop's troop or perhaps Purple Dragons, he might, but not a random crowd.

That didn't matter. He hadn't time to consider the logistics of his attacker's knowledge before he struck again.

His twin shot him in the arm with a dart from a blow gun that appeared to have been crafted from Daichi's hand as it had the raven insignia branded into the body of the bamboo. The first dart made his head go fuzzy, but he still had the energy and focus to spring to an adjacent wrought iron fixture attached to the next building over. He had just scrambled to the top of the building, not nearly as gracefully as he normally was. His lack of balance was from the sheer amount of artificial weight in his extremities as the dart's poison started to sink in. His legs barely absorbed the shock of his jump when the second hand made feathered dart pierced his neck.

Perhaps retreat has not been his best option...as it was no option at all.

The poison in the second dart was meant to hit Leo's blood faster, crippling him almost instantly. He stumbled right into the waiting arms of the first man in a line up of a dozen, dressed in military garb. He cursed himself for not paying better attention and noting these men on the adjacent rooftop. It was a mistake he couldn't afford making and yet he would pay for it now, in his weakened state. He had no fight left and his body trembled in muscle spasms as it was entirely out of his control. They tunneled to him, man after a man, in a

Leo's last thought before darkness was; Dex was definitely right.

* * *

><p>Leo woke when his face hit the mud and he slid across the slick and viscous surface of the floor. He didn't make a sound, pride and strength kept him from groaning as he rolled to his side; though he wanted to growl and bitch as he spat the mud from his mouth.<p>

"DAD!" Leo heard a little girl's voice ring out.

Leo felt her tiny hand on his shoulder. He was stunned and glanced over his shoulder at her little face, round and rosy cheeked. She had little dirty, blonde pigtails matted to the sides of her pretty little face. She had eyes that he recognized but he wasn't sure where at the moment.

She seemed suddenly surprised at seeing his face. She shook her head. "You're not my dad." She recoiled. "I don't know you."

Leo was only partly curious as to how a little human girl might mistake him for her father. He couldn't imagine he looked anything like her father, unless he too bore a shell and had dark green skin. Which he figured was highly unlikely. The other part of him was determinedly set on finding a way out. His arms were still like jelly as he tried to pick himself up from the wet earth below him. They were caged, he could tell that by the metal bars that were visible from his location, he and this little girl.

"Shenny, come away from him," a familiar male voice answered Leo's silence and her confusion. The little girl obediently did as she was told, though she looked up to the man that Leo now noticed.

"My father will come for me. I'm certain of it." Her hand slipped into the man's as if hoping for support and confirmation from him. Leo noted that she was quite young but remarkably well spoken for her age. "And mother. She will come as well. She's a physician." She told the man proudly who smiled and squeezed her hand.

"Shenny...?" Leo mumbled and questioned as he sat up the whole way. His eyes shifted from the little girl up to the man whom he immediately recognized. Taller, thicker, older, and sporting a single patch over one eye was the once boy king, now man, Dexter Murphy. He had the same sort of dreamy look but worn and haggard, tainted by age and experience, as he'd warned was a danger for his people. Humanity was a curse, a plague, and Dexter showed the signs of its disease though he still wore a pleasant smile on his wizened face.

"You...don't belong here," were the first words that tumbled from Dex's mouth, as if he knew the truth of where Leo's origins lie. Leo hesitated, wondering what Dex did know. It wouldn't be the first time Dex surprised Leo.

He was having a hard time recalling everything that had happened, his mind growing more and more detached from the moment Dex brought him to this world, this place, the Dreaming. It was a hazy memory, he knew he had a purpose there...but it was being quickly replaced by the purpose of escape.

Shen, hand placed in Dex's, looked up his long arm to the man above her. Leo deduced that she couldn't be more than four, a scrawny little thing. "King Murphy, you're supposed to be dead," she said matter of factly. "You don't belong here either."

"Ah the mind of a child, refreshing - no doubt." Dex smiled, it was the same mischievous smile that Leo had seen only a few hours earlier, yet tired - just like the rest of the man. "Such a simple solution Miss Shen, though I assure you I am alive and it's just Dex, if you don't mind."

"My father says the simplest solution often is."

"A brilliant man, indeed." Dex knelt down in front of her and took her by the shoulders. "I know you've only been here a few hours, but I need for you to do something for me, Shen. Can you help the man in the corner? Wake him gently. The way your mother has told you to be gentle with patients. You understand?"

Leo watched the exchange. Shenny nodded her little head with determination and sprinted off in her sundress, now covered in the filth of this place, and paten leather shoes, with ruffed once white socks which were also soiled by the environment.

"You did that on purpose." Leo observed.

"Indeed. She seems to be confused enough by your presence. I figured it would be easier to give her a distraction. At least, for the time being. Come, let me help you." Dex offered his hand, of which Leo accepted. Though his discomfort didn't show on his face, he felt defeated by how weak his body was. He would accept the help, but not without the strong desire to do it on his own.

"How did you know?"

Dex seemed to inherently understand what Leo was asking. "That would be just as simple as explaining the concept of love to a heartless meiser. Christmas to a Buddhist. Red to a blind man. I simply see that you don't belong here. I won't ask where you've come from...I probably don't want to know. But it must have been a pretty bad place if this is where you choose to find solace."

"Why is that?" Leo figured it would be easier to ask than to explain anything. For now at least.

"The war, my friend. Dex, I'm called Dex. Have you a name?"

"Leo," the turtle rolled his neck in an attempt to loosen the only tight muscles in his body. "What war do you mean?"

"Bishop's war. He's killing anything magic, related to magic, or just different. He's declared martial law and taken quite a lot of control into his greasy little palm. If he's not killing us, he's turning us on each other. I'm not sure how he manages but the man has more tricks than a pooka prankster. So many have died, and many more will before the end of his battle. That man in the corner, he used to help rule the Japanese Corvidaethrope flight. After that, he spent some years as a doll under one of the Vampire princes. A tragic life, truly. His mind is tainted and he's not entirely comprehensible by most; but he's as docile as a flower now. Sato is his name. However, they used to call him Tokyo, as I understand it."

Leo was on his feet in a second and ready to scoop up the little blonde, who had mistaken him as her father. There was no way he would let her anywhere near the man called Tokyo-he looked thinner than ever but it was clear, as his black wings were frayed and tattered on his back, that he was the same bird-man Leo had met once before in Japan. It seemed as if that was many years ago, just as Dex too was older. Before he could move, with his wobbly legs and arms, Dex caught his arm lightly. "He's not a threat - clearly not the threat you think him to be. We are all on the same side now, Leo."

Leo frowned, concerned by Dex's answer. Yet he trusted the man, inherently, as it seemed most did. It was hard not to trust Dexter Murphy as his spirit was as pure as the blue ocean water of his kingdom. "And her? How low has Bishop gone to drag children into a war?"

"He does not see age - only threat."

"She can't be older than four!" Leo barked, angered by the situation at hand.

"No, but one day she will be a visiugo; like her mother - who I suspect is Cagney Joyce. The little tyke won't say as much. She's got gumption. She won't name either, convinced she's protecting them. And she likely is successfully protecting them. She was caught with a resistance group or so I understand; picked off and brought here. Magic normally stays in families and if she was caught with them, she's connected to one and will likely be one...one day."

"Cagney," Leo murmured out thoughtfully, recognizing that name - and those eyes now. He looked back at the little blonde - Shen. His mind worked quickly. Her name, her mistake of who he may be, her mother, her behavior, "Don..." Naturally Don would insist his child be educated, if he could have children. The diction and expansive vocabulary for a four-year-old was impressive, as only Don's child would be. How was this possible? "How...a visiugo? A raven?" Leo made the same mistake that his own brother had when Cagney first admitted to being of the blended animal-people race.

This time the smile reached his eyes, amused by Leo's assumption. "No. Though she would be cute with big black wings _and _a shell, right? I kid." That much was clear to Leo and he wasn't sure now was the time for Dex's playful jokes. But, Leo also knew that there wasn't much he could do - Dex was not able to be wrangled. It seemed as if Dex could see the skepticism in his eyes, as he added brightly, "Laughter is the only weapon most forgotten in war.

"Cagney has long been mated with Donatello Hamato. They're both turtles, she will be one too. I'm sure of it. When her day of birth comes, her birth into visiugohood that is. I will do my best to see to it that she makes it to that day. She will not die in this camp, even if it means I must die in her stead. Though I prefer if no one dies, beggars can't be choosers, can they?"

"She's my niece." Leo looked hard at Dex. "I will see that she gets out of this place and if I know Don, and I'm sure I do, he won't wait. He will come for her - she's right."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

* * *

><p>"THEY WERE WHAT? TAKEN? I told you we shouldn't have let her go. Cagney...I told you." Don's voice skyrocketed to dangerous levels, in a fashion in which he never reached. Don was docile and kind, rage of that magnitude had always been left for Raph.<p>

"I never said she should," Shen's mother was just as distraught. "She was the one that talked you into letting her go, not me."

"Groceries. They were going for GROCERIES! She wanted to see the sky. She's been down here for months! The one time...the **single** time she goes topside _this _is what happens? I sent her in the hands of a traitor." Don's fist came down on his desk with such force that it rattled everything on it. "Ben had been with us for what...three years? THREE years! How could it have slipped by us? HOW?"

"I. Don't. Know!" Cagney snapped as if his rage were directed at her. "If I knew, do you think I would have let it happen? **Do** _you_?"

Don disregarded the question as he wasn't truly blaming her. He was upset and she was the nearest and safest outlet for his distress. "I'm going for her. There is only one active camp in the area. I know the way. The maps we've kept have shown this."

Cagney's green eyes widened in horror. "Yes, maps all maintained by a traitor. Don...you could be walking into a trap. You can't be serious. This is far too dangerous!"

"No more dangerous than letting our little girl fend for herself in a sea of villainy! I am serious! I don't care if our intel is possibly faulty. She can't be there, alone...in danger. I won't let her! I refuse. I'm going after her!"

Raph had never seen Don so animated, so irrational; though, in theory, he understood his brother's explosive mindset. Shenny was his daughter. He would be dozens times more irrational than Don was. Of course the miracle that was Shen couldn't be recreated by him or his other brothers, Cagney was like Don - or so he'd been told. That's why Shen was possible at all.

"I'm going with you." Cagney finally said.

Raph wasn't sure why but her comment brought his brother to a sudden halt. He had been stuffing the familiar brown duffle bag with his goodies for any situation. The thing slipped from his fingers and before he could comment Mikey jumped in excitedly.

"Yeah man! Rage-Cags busting down walls and being all super-turtle could totally help us out. Were-turtles are so cool. Screw being a ninja." He added half in jest but half in truth for how Mike just knew she could help. "You remember Raph, well if you remembered anything, how strong she gets and spawn protection makes the most fierce-some momma were-animals. Come on blondie, give him a demo."

"No." Don said simply and plainly, with no room for misinterpretation.

Cagney, however, scooted forward and caught him by the edge of his plastron at the sides. She gave him a little shake by it, ignoring Mikey completely. "Yes." She demanded firmly. When he turned his head away, her nostrils flared. "I can't lose you. Going with will ensure your safety. Don...I _can't _lose you both."

Don's hands closed around hers and he pulled her fingers free of the thick part of his shell. He held them for a moment. There was clear anxiety across his face. "I have more to lose than you, Cagney. Three, I can't loose the three of you."

Mikey made a sound that came out sounding something like a shocked Scooby Doo and his eyes rounded on Cagney who still seemed to forget that anyone existed but Don. Her eyes searched his and he could tell she was slightly perturbed that he'd thrown it out there like that. He knew this woman and he knew her expressions if nothing else.

It felt like just yesterday that he'd slipped off from her, their shells scraping against one another. She was a little thing when she was in her middle visiugo form and, in many ways, looked close to him. Most average mundanes wouldn't be able to tell which of them was the male and which the female without closer inspection of their anatomy. She, like any turtle, was hairless. But her colorful dimorphism differed from his overall olive tone. She had two bright red stripes that ran from the corners of her eyes back against the nearly black, leathery skin on her head. Don could most definitely tell she was a female, with or without hair.

His fingers had brushed the neon green stripes that ran down her neck as he panted. He always loved the colorful stripes on her neck. She was belly down on the bed as she smiled coyly, satisfied, over to him. Her hand reached up and caught his as it tickled her throat. He pressed her cheek to the back of his hand. "I hope it takes this time."

Don's panting breaths were recovering but his heartbeat was still off the chart. "That's...that's not why I make love with you Cagney." He managed letting escape from his lips as the back of his finger brushed her cheek. "I love you. That's why."

She blushed and tucked her head into her shell, slightly. "Nor me, not why. But it would be nice for Shen to have a little brother or sister, yeah?" She let her head out and fall onto the pillow and sink into the down feathers. "I love you too, Donatello. That's why." She echoed.

He couldn't help but grin back. "It would be nice. It's still not the reason." He leaned in and pressed his cheek against hers. Nuzzling her.

That had been weeks before. It had taken, just like Cagney hoped, and now that meant she must stay behind. They both seemed to know this.

"Mikey and I...we'll find her. You need to stay and make sure this operation has a leader." Don told her.

Cagney nodded, finally giving some leeway to his request. Even with the war she would never wish the quickening in her womb away, merely that her mate would return soon and safely with their daughter. In the meantime she would run the operation with dedication and strength, as he'd said.

"I'll go in her stead. Me and Raph." Joey offered. "I'm pretty quick with the shadows and he's okay with those mini-pitchforks." She ribbed him and offered a firm shoulder into his, to which he grunted a soft hiss of faux disapproval at the tiny little fae woman.

Don nodded to them but turned back to the blonde who he put much of his faith in. "I'll be back. Soon, as soon as I can be." He leaned forward and brushed his nose against hers. "With our Shen. I love you."

"You better." She threatened with a sad little smile, though they shared a brief kiss. "Soon. I love you too."

* * *

><p><strong>::Author's Note::<strong>

Here you are...an update. We hope you enjoy. This chapter was fun to write. We hope it's fun to read. Any of you lovely readers still following this please let us know what you think, we would love to hear from you! Thank you so much for stopping by!


	36. You Know it Starts Here

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>**Part III  
><strong>Chapter 8:  
><span>You Know it Starts Here<span>

"I don't like leaving them in there." Don said, looking up to the big white house, now - just that, a house. No more were the banners that flew overhead like flags marking the castle a Fae stronghold. He had been disenchanted, the sword removed from his possession for his own good.

In the bowels of the house, where it appeared the normal populace weren't permitted to go, Leo and Raph lay immobile. Here, without the faerie magic to make it the castle beyond the disbelieving eyes of the common people - the mundanes - the antique antebellum home appeared unsafe on the upper two stories.

"Come on, bro." Mikey clapped Don on the shoulder. "You heard what Dex said. We can't stay inside. For faeries only lest we go totally insane. You could go all mad scientist with that much magic pumping through your nerdy veins."

"But Leo and -"

"No. No buts." Cagney brushed passed Don and peeked over her shoulder at him with a playful little smile. Her voice was just as playful as her smile. "Is that the only word you know? No? If so we'll have to give you a whole new vocabulary Mr. Donnie."

Don's heart fluttered at the blonde's smile pointed at him. She was smart, that was the hook. She seemed to know what he knew about Chemistry and Math though her understanding of Physics was a little lackluster, but somehow she understood the bridge of science to magic too. That was something even April didn't have. "No." He fumbled with the word. "I know other words."

She and Mikey exchanged grins. "Could'a fooled me." his brother teased, as he'd answered with the very words she'd indicated was the only one he knew.

"It's okay Mikey, I'll help you teach him what's possible. That is," she turned her words on Don, "if you think you can keep up." she issued the challenge directly to Don, but she softened as if understanding his worry. "Your brothers will be fine in there. Alena will take good care of them. She's stronger than she appears to be. I know that scrawny frame and hollow cheeked boney look can be deceiving. They're safe because they're not aware where they are. They don't know they're in a faerie freehold.

"In fact, they may be even safer than any fae because the nature of their illness is directly attached to very place where magic is born." she reached up and tapped on Don's temple. "In the mind. The dreams and fantasies of everyone. If you're too logical minded to dream crazy things - surely you have fantasies. And from what I know of you, you have a pretty wild imagination. That underwater breathing contraption you thought up, that you told me about, no bigger than - what? - a lighter. Or what about the jet packs with stabilizing boosters. I wouldn't have thought of the boosters and I've seen rockets take to the sky from right here. The space shuttle used to trail the sky right there when they still launched from Kennedy Space Center." she pointed over a clump of trees. "Yes Don, you have quite an imagination. It's just not in the vein of the fae."

"Wait...you made jet packs and didn't tell me about it?" Mikey was suddenly both thrilled and affronted. "Uncool." he shook his head, disappointed, at Don.

"They're not ready yet!" Don immediately defended. "I just have the blueprint and some beta prototypes. Not ready for use or anything. I've been too busy working on the submarine. I want it to be functional before I start working on anything new."

"Like that'll happen. Every shiny thing that passes distracts you. I want my jet pack." Mikey moaned.

"Little bit of an identity crisis, huh? Shouldn't you be Leonardo?" Cagney jabbed Don lightly under his arm, between his plastron and carapace as if she knew the exact spot to touch to elicit a grin-and-squirm-away response. "He was the inventor of the Renaissance, yeah? Notorious for never finishing projects." She poked again. This time he caught her hand before she could actually touch the soft, virgin skin hidden on his sides.

"You really are a ninja." she grinned, impressed, and pulled her hand free of his grasp.

"Are you really a doctor?" he challenged.

"I don't know. Why don't you jump out of that tree over there and break a leg. We'll see how fast I can set it." Cagney taunted right back in jest, arching a blonde eyebrow. Don always thought Renet was pretty because of her blonde hair, even if it was hidden half the time under her ridiculous head unit. Cagney blended the two favored things of the two girls he'd found appealing, for completely different reasons, in the past. He couldn't handle Renet's vapid and senseless way; but April was, though pretty, not what he favored in color. And, Cagney claimed to be a visiugo turtle to boot.

"Are you sure it's safe out here? Will anyone see us?" Don felt suddenly exposed out in the open.

Cagney looked up to the darkening sky. "I'm sure. The park closed an hour ago. No one's left but the rangers. And trust me when I say they've seen their fair share of humanoid turtles. Humanoid anything that lives in these woods. It's mating season after all and my people are...well, not shy; that's for sure."

"Wait...your people? What people? What humanoid turtles? Where? Us?" Mikey's dumbfounded voice echoed and Cagney merely smiled at him.

"Visiugo, Mikey," Don said. "Turtle visiugo. Like Cagney."

"And fox, and raccoon, and squirrels, and birds, and even fish - mermaids by ancient sailor tales. It's spring, this place is rife with magic folk. This is a sanctuary. Native species call this home and use it as such. The equinox is coming and that means frivolity. I'm surprised spring doesn't effect you. Are you that disciplined, ninja master?"

"No." Don commented swiftly, but blushed hot on the heels of his word unsure if it was embarrassing or the correct response. He went on to cover the possible folly, "Leo, maybe. But the rest of us...not so much. We just," Don blushed slightly and hesitated. It was a minute too long too as Mikey pitched in for him.

"Well we're sort of short on the women-folk if you haven't noticed." Mikey held his hands up and shrugged and then giggled in a way that only Mikey could make manly. "We make due with what we got." Don glanced at his brother, horrified at what he was alluding to and he was sure Cagney would interpret from it.

"Well, I was a little hung up on your brother's use of that only word he knows again but I appreciate your explanation Michelangelo. Though it wasn't necessary. I could have figured it out. But, you know, medically speaking, I'm glad you're..._healthy_." She winked at him. She wasn't offended or disgusted. On the contrary Cagney seemed amused by them and Mikey was pleased with himself in that moment as evident by his squared shoulders.

Well, she seemed amused by Mikey, Don thought.

"WAIT! You're a TURTLE VISIUGO!" Mikey suddenly exclaimed, as the former portion of their conversation dawned on him and hit him like a sledgehammer to the chest. "Can I **SEE**?"

Don groaned. Part of what got to him was that he'd had the same reaction, he just managed to keep it from bubbling over like Mikey's high pitched squeal of excitement. Where Don had the sense to censor himself, Mikey was far from tactful in his desires.

Cagney looked to him, as if he was dying, but reach out and playfully patted his cheek with sympathetic smile. "Oh, honey. Can't you take me to dinner first? A lady isn't supposed to show her shell before the first date." she taunted in an off color and completely teasing rib. Mikey laughed all the same.

"Hey Cagney, will you go out with me just so I can see...well, ya know?" Mikey immediately asked, going right along with her joke. Don didn't seem to think it was too funny, but Cagney laughed, prompting Mikey to go on. Don groaned. "No, it'll be totally awesome! I can't really take you out-out but I'm a pretty killer cook. Not like kill-you cook but killer in that awesome, this is delicious! way. And there's that whole have to come to New York to date thing that we could totally do. Long distance and all that. We could make it work! Or ya know, you could just show me now and save the phone bills." he beamed.

"Mikey!" Don chided sharply. "It's invasive."

"No, it's really not. I'm more comfortable in that body. I'm just teasing you both." she told done in a more serious mode. "And it would be slightly awkward to strip off all my clothes right here since - well - you two _aren't_visiugo. And its sort of like the Hulk-my shell doesn't quite fit a small. From the way I see you both and your behaviors, human nudity to you isn't a common and natural thing. You've been branded with humanity's values and therefore it would be taboo." She shrugged. "I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable."

Don and Mikey both stared at her, neither could say what the other was thinking, though they both seemed to have the same knee - **DO IT!** _I'd love to see, particularly if you're comfortable doing it - _reaction_._Don realized, before Mikey, that was exactly what she meant; for them nudity was taboo, for her people (by the way she described it), it seemed perhaps natural. Of course, Don also considered how naked both he and his brother were by human standards, it must not be that much different for her.

Their mouths seemed to be filled with cotton and just as dry, unable to summon words. It only got awkward as the silence seemed to drag on for several long moments.

"See." She said soberly.

"No!" Don and Mikey both echoed the same word at the same time. Both were concerned they'd offended her and that she might abandon them. They could learn a lot from her. Though she was a turtle, or so she said, she already differentiated them from her kind. Neither could be sure if that was a bad thing or not. But they were both sure they didn't want to lose her company yet.

"What," Don hesitated after he immediately tried to cover the awkwardness of the situation, "he means is, what we mean is, we're just curious. We've never met anyone similar to us before. Not anyone remotely like anything we understand or know. At least not on this world."

"Well you need to broaden your local horizons." Cagney leaned forward, challenging him once more, but this time with a kind smile. "This world? You said 'this world'. Does that mean there are other ones? Maybe I could learn a thing or two from you as well."

"I'm the Battle Nexus Champion." Mikey declared proudly and both Don and Cagney looked at him, as if he'd interrupted. When their eyes remained on him, he sheepishly added, "Not...really...ya know local or anything. It's...uh...never mind."

Cagney snickered and peeked at Don before flicking her thumb in Mikey's direction. "This one, he's a show off; isn't he?"

"You have no idea." Don retorted in a deadpan while Mikey offered up a shrug.

"There you are." All three turned to see Dex having just come from the house on the hill. His steps were determined as he came down the hill. "There's a problem."

Don stood up a little straighter in his spot and Mikey moved a few feet closer. Gone was the fun-loving conversation and reality sunk in. Their brothers were in a far more dangerous place and Mikey and Don both were concerned.

"What do you mean?" Don asked.

"Well it seems to me the cause of this curse is simple and still very in tact. Even if they come back, your brother will still belong to Kenshin. He can be right as rain, healthy and perfect - which is what this little excursion in the Dreaming is doing for him - one can't leave the Dreaming without being changed."

Mikey had chirped - "if?" - while Don frowned for a moment, "But I thought the curse was broken...his body is fine, that is what Joey's blood did. It broke the curse, because she was the last one to share blood with Elisa. If its not Joey's blood that can save him, Raph will..."

"Die?" Dex concluded in an oddly cheerful tone, "Oh heavens no, no. Not from this, anyhow. The curse was lifted, yes...in some ways. His body is recovering by the way of the Dreaming and Joey's magic, its the only way to cleanse him from the curse Elisa bestowed. But his body still belongs to that vampire. He did make a deal, from what I've been told. And as long as that deal is in place, he will not be himself...he does not belong to himself, you see? I'm going to go...talk to the beast and see if an arrangement can't be made." the teenage king arched an eyebrow mischievously at the lot of them. He was oddly calm but almost playfully amused.

"Dex, Kenshin is usually in New York - or Japan. He doesn't come this far south to Bastien's territory. It would cause a war." Cagney said matter-of-factly with a furrow of her brow.

"I know. That's why I plan to go to him." Dex's voice rose a notch to something definitely playful.

"Dex," Don stepped forward. There were logistics that he could see being an issue. The king was a teenager and had no means to travel over a thousand miles, perhaps more. He might be a fae but he was still wrapped up in humanity which limited him in many ways. He felt five delicate fingers on his arm, there were clearly not Mikey's rough and calloused hand.

He dipped his head down to see Cagney's pale hand on the thick of his forearm. He let his eyes alone rise, following her hand, up her arm, to her face. She gently shook her head, silently asking him not to argue as she could tell his initial use of the king's name was tentative, ready for debate.

"I'm sure that Raph's brothers would be grateful for any support you can give, Dex." Cagney said.

Dex nodded brightly and turned, "'Tis always my pleasure, Cagney." He disappeared back up the hill with a wink and a little bounce to his step that seemed not to fit the severity of the situation.

"Are you out of your mind? He's a kid and Kenshin is probably twenty times his age. He's the sort of person that will hop the next greyhound to the city, no matter how dangerous. He doesn't even seem to be aware of what he's going up against! It's not a nice, Cagney. Raph is our brother, it should be use looking for help" Don warned her.

"There you go again." She frowned and sighed, leaning back on her hip. "He needed our belief in him, without it, he won't succeed. It's what makes him strong and Don, he's the strongest fae there is. If anyone can negotiate for your brother's safe release - it's him. Maybe its you who doesn't know what Raph is up against."

It was still hard for Don to swallow, the idea that someone so young could be so influential and have that sort of power. There was a time where he and his brothers were young with seemingly all the power in the world, but even then Don knew they couldn't move the earth. What Dex wanted to do, to release Raph from the hands of a very powerful and deadly vampire, seemed to be impossible. This was not simply just a fight, but destroying a contract forever binding. He had seen so many things of this world and the one thing he could deduce was that, at the end of the day, the trickery of a vampire was far more complex than it seemed. Elisa had had control over Raph first, with her curse, and now Kenshin because of his brother's folly-enough that it was the reason for his danger now.

Even still, there was a nagging voice in the back of his mind that said Cagney was right, and he must trust in that. He must trust in magic, he must trust that the only way to destroy something so magic was to use magic in the first place. If Dex was the strongest fae their was, perhaps he was truly the only one who could win Raph his freedom. They had tried everything...what was another attempt? This most certainly couldn't get any worse than they already were. It was then that Don gave his hope and trust, his faith, to Dex if it meant Raph would be free. And it was that belief that Dex needed most.

Don opened his mouth to ask Cagney if they could help the king. Before he could, however, Dex's voice rang back from somewhere far ahead. Not that Don had even spoken.

"Oh..." his voice carried pleasant and amused, "I go alone."

Don's heart stopped for just a second. Dex was special in ways he could not explain or understand, he knew it. He only hoped trusting him wouldn't be a mistake.


	37. Blood Sent From the Heavens

**Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets  
><strong>**Part III  
><strong>Chapter 9:  
><span>Blood Sent From the Heavens<span>

Dex didn't have to go nearly as far as Don presumed he did. Word moved quickly when sent through the proper channels - and a fae like Dex had easy access to those channels. Few in the magical community disregarded a request from any fae noble; most nobles rarely stepped out of the safety of their palaces or surrounding grounds. Their reasons ranged from that of traditions and precedent to self-import and protection. Dex had never been one for rules - or safety.

He didn't know Raph. He had seen Leo's conviction, the only thing that he held dearest to his person. Mikey and Don were on the periphery of his understanding. In fact, many would say he was mad for trusting near strangers, and more than that, putting himself in danger for it. A noble, the leader of a Kingdom in fact, putting his neck out for anyone, fae or not, was considered absolute lunacy. There was a rogue element in the mix of it all, which put Dex's absolute faith on the line. Josephine Hoxie. Their history was deep, long and winding from the time they'd both become the fae that they were. He trusted Joey and if Joey trusted them and would risk her life for any of them - so would Dex.

His conviction and resolve was as strong as Leo's. Like the good kings in story books, his morality was true and that compass always pointed north. He left little room for gray.

The sun was down, after all it was the only way his counterpart could be outside. Here, in the lush underbrush of north eastern Florida, Dex awaited the man who'd agreed to meet. No questions had been asked and no stipulation to Kenshin's arrival had been made. He agreed to come alone and unarmed.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" Kenshin's voice preceded his appearance, but Dex knew he was there.

Unthreatened by the attempt at making Dex uncomfortable, the young king merely smiled. There was no question as to what the vampire prince was speaking in regard to. Dex had picked this spot for their meeting because he knew it was neutral ground - for vampires. It was sacred lan; even special for the fae because of the sheer amount of belief that pooled in this one spot.

"If you mean by blood pouring from an altar of hate, then yes - I can't deny it's majesty."

The vampire moved into the moonlight, cast on the open area in the middle of a thickly dense forested area. It was uncanny how the bushes and trees seemed to stop within a 100 foot circumference around the pinnacle of which the two were speaking. A massive tree was split in two centuries before and now, only the stump remained. However, twisted by nature and time, the heart of the tree had wrapped into an ornate series of vines making the grotesque scene somewhat beautiful; for from the center of the monument flowed thick crimson liquid in a continuous loop that troughed around the bottom by the way the vines had naturally woven themselves together.

The fountain was just as demanding a presence as the two leaders of two very separate casts of people in the same hidden world. Dex, a fraction of Kenshin's age, wasn't intimidated. The vampire prince seemed to harbor some misbegotten respect for the young man as he didn't dare move closer.

"My people base their lives around this very spot. It's quite remarkable how I am even drawn to it's power though I hold no allegiance to the original US clan of vampires."

Dex's eyebrow rose. "It was the Spanish who settled Florida and built the fort at St. Augustine, Castillo de San Marcos, just over the ridge beyond the highway and toward the sea. The Americans owe those sailors their finds. This place is evil. Magic comes with a price, including eternal youth."

"But a fountain of youth they found, my young king. You say magic comes with a price, but youth is what my people have and what yours seek to maintain. What Ponce de Leon himself sought and well...in more ways than one, found." Kenshin offered with a flick of a smile across his pale, dead lips.

Dex frowned. "**_The_**Fountain of Youth, I believe you mean to say. Vampirism is no answer - that's some pretty fine print on a promise of forever youth. What with the having to be dead part."

"A promise the natural human greed wishes to be fulfilled. How many men and women of your day inject and mutilate themselves to live the lives we live? To be young forever? When all they must do is...well...visit this land. One flick of this water onto you and you will be nothing more than an empty husk with a lust for blood. Long live the glory days."

Dex finally smiled, that mischief making grin that meant he was either playful or perfectly serious. "Ah yes but for you to touch the 'water' as you call it, I think that's hardly something to be defined as water, it would take your life just as you drinking from me would. Pure magic cannot be touched. That thing doesn't give life, it takes it away. I didn't come for threats, and don't pretend to play that off as a playful and friendly rib. I know what you meant in your words. I asked you here to make a deal. Neutral ground."

"A deal?" Kenshin asked as his hand hovered near the rolling spit of red liquid, mesmerized by it. "I wonder what it feels like? Is it hot? What was it like when those sailors stumbled here all those years ago and tasted immortality for the first time?"

"I suspect they didn't all find it - this a fraction of the Dreaming Kenshin. It's like twilight and it takes a lot of belief to access this land. A lot of strength most mundanes don't possess. Come away from the fountain, Kenshin." Dex took a few steps back himself, fearful of being too close and equally tempted by it's power. He liked to think his will would be stronger, but he dared not risk it.

The vampire glanced over his shoulder and for a second Dex saw a flick of feral lust cross his face. Dex knew Kenshin to be a patient and poised man, but the draw of the fountain clearly had a hold on him for a moment and the young king wondered if his location choice - though in driving distance for himself - was a bad one.

"It's about Raphael. I've come to negotiate his release."

Kenshin hissed.

Dex held up a hand. "It will be worth your while to listen, to agree. But first, you must step away from the fountain."

Kenshin considered it and the part of him that was still logical and hadn't gone completely feral forced his body to step toward the teenage boy. It would do him well, he knew, to listen and ignore the succulent smell of Dexter Murphy's faeire blood in the air, mixed with the magic of the eternal youth fountain. "Go on, your majesty."

"Really, it's just Dex," the king said with a crooked little smile and twinkle in his eye. Magic was thick in his veins and this area, so close to his natural form - the Dreaming, where everyone's fantasies, desires and fears lived - drew out that already powerful blessing and made his skin glow slightly and his features appear more regal and aristocratic.

When Kenshin didn't respond, Dex took his queue to go on. "Noble fae have a value to your kind. Value of unspeakable numbers. Raphael is a trinket to you, a rare object to add to your collection of _things_. I'm willing to offer a pint of my blood, kingly blood, every 8 weeks for the next six months in exchange for ownership of the turtle."

Kenshin's head lifted and his eyes cast down on the young man. "King's blood..."

It was worth more than could be put in numerical value. A mere drop, let alone all those that made up a pint, of fae blood mixed with any human would drive a vampire to a high so pleasurable and addictive, even if dangerous, that none could resist. The pure magic of faerie blood was already sinking its hooks in Kenshin's porcelain skin and he could feel his mouth watering at the idea of slurping on such a delectable drink. Having a hold of King Dexter Murphy's, ruler of the White Sands Kingdom, blood in his possession meant Kenshin would have absolute power and control of every vampire he came in contact with. That was, of course, if he could refrain from gorging on it himself first.

Dex nodded. "A pint would make you wealthier and more infamous than anything you can imagine now. Three pints - six months. I will have it delivered to you still freshly drawn from my veins."

"A year." Kenshin shot back. "Six pints over a year and you have deal." The vampire's Japanese accent, in his excitement, made him trip over the words, making them songish and slurred.

"Done." Dex agreed with a single nod and bow.

No movement could confirm the deal fast enough as the vampire slipped the ring from his finger, the one he'd used to brand Raphael with his seal. He dropped the ring into Dex's open palm eagerly. This act, born of a magical agreement, caused Dex's hand to glow yellow for a moment when he closed his hand around the ring.

"I expect the first shipment tomorrow." Kenshin's voice blew on the wind as he too disappeared and Dex looked down at the ring. It was warm on his palm but cooling quickly as the magic ebbed back into the object and the promise that was struck. He knew his offer could swing the tides of vampire power. He knew of the war, the danger and the backlash it could cause. That was something he would deal with when the troubles arose as Kenshin's clan grew in strength and power because of this very pact.

It was his trouble to deal with - for now, he would finish what he'd come to do. What he'd promise to do.

In the dead of night, in a magical land that overlapped reality he pulled the ring, drawn back into a fist, close to his chest and smiled. He whispered, "You're free. At least...free."

With a burst of energy, he threw his arm toward the sky and opened his fingers, releasing a handful of hundreds upon hundreds of beautiful, colorful butterflies. The ring transmuted into something else entirely, as the magic consumed it and configured it to its newest, purest shape. It was no longer marked with the malice intent it had once bore in the ownership of a vampire prince. Dex laughed and chased after them for a moment, with his arms out to the side as if he'd reverted to early childhood, while they fluttered off and eventually disappeared into darkness.

"You're free, my friend." Dex said softly, to no one at all, taking a deep contented breath. He peeked over his shoulder at the fountain and then lowered his eyes. "May no one else ever find eternal life from your waters."

Somewhere, south, a turtle's body rested and a lean faerie healer cooled his forehead with a wet rag. The scar on his neck, marking him as property, faded into green skin leaving no evidence that it had ever been there.

Raphael was truly free at last.


	38. We'll Never Know

_**::Author's Note:**_: It has been one heck of a journey. It's with a bittersweet joy that we say adieu to this story. Within you will find the final chapter of the third part of this tale. Though we close the cover and set it aside, it's not gone forever from our thoughts and we just hope - with the greatest sincerity - that you have enjoyed this adventure along with us and our heroes.

Please, enjoy. We'd love to hear, any who are still reading (or newcomers!), what you think. Thank you for reading and tagging along throughout these trials and tribulations. Truly, each and every word from you - our readers - has been well met and taken to heart. You all are wonderful!

Again, thank you; from the bottom of our hearts.

*gracious bow*

* * *

><p><strong>Sing to Me Your Darkest Secrets<br>****Part III  
><strong>Chapter 10:  
><span>We'll Never Know Which Way this Road is Going to Turn<span>

Leo, after coming to the conclusion that she must belong to his brother and the woman who was friend's with Dex, was painfully curious about Shen. Like the young king had warned him, he was beginning to forget that place; without focus he would begin to forget what he was doing in this place that had never really been his home. Raph's sickly body and Joey laying peacefully next to him was more like the dream as the false reality of this place bled into his mind like an open wound.

Shen had long since abandoned Tokyo and come over to sit with Leo, as if drawn to him.

She pulled herself up onto the rickety wooden bench in the cell. She swung her feet lightly with her hands folded in her lap. "I heard you tell Dex that your name is Leo. You must mean Leonardo. Like my uncle, who died many years ago."

"How old are you Shen?" Leo asked.

"Four." she responded without missing a beat, holding up four of her little fingers. "Now, my turn. Are you Uncle Leonardo?"

Leo bowed his head in a single nod, considering his answer before he finally spoke. "Yes."

She frowned slightly, confused. "Uncle Raphael appeared too. How is this possible?" She asked, trying to wrap her mind around the idea that something wasn't as she'd always known it. Leo knew Don, as a youngster, having the same difficulty bridging that which he couldn't prove with empirical evidence. It was yet another indication, next to her very evolved diction, that indicated she was indeed Donnie's little girl.

Her question sparked thoughts of his world that was slipping away from him and gave Leo a moment of grounding as to what his purpose was. "Sometimes things aren't always what they seem, little one. You can't believe what you see with your eyes, unless you feel it in your heart and know it with your mind." He placed a three fingered hand flat on her little chest, over her heart, with the whole of his palm almost engulfing her entire front. With his other hand, he touched her head curly blonde head.

She smiled at him.

"They're here." Leo had forgotten Dex was there until his soft words drifted to the leaders ears and he'd stood up. Dex's movement was barely a preface to the sound of fighting beyond the walls of their room.

In an instant, Leo was on his feet, adrenaline kicking in. Gone was his contemplative mind and, instead, instinct and training took over. He's hoisted Shen off the bench without any consideration to his actions, and placed her behind him. Naturally, he'd been stripped of his single katana, but Leo didn't need a weapon to fight. His body and mind were what he was most skilled in anyhow.

In the short amount of time that he'd been there, he'd assessed their environment, with the intention of determining a plan for escape. The building was a rudimentary structure, the ground below them was just earth, and the walls were simple block. He figured this was only a holding place before they were moved to their true prison. Dex had told him that there were typically six holding cells in each camp before they were relocated. In their pen Leo counted six people, with Shen.

He knew the extent of Toyko's gifts of nature, but he wondered (and hadn't the chance to ask) if they'd been numbed over time with the absence of fae magic as their numbers dwindled. No doubt, nature had abandoned her people too, while war raged on the Earth's surface between them, humans and other races, all of which had been forced out of their former safe hiding was no doubt the dwindling of the magical races was having an impact on their people.

Time for a plan was too late as the sounds of battle came closer. Instead, it was time for action. Leo backed up, his hand behind him, holding Shen back by her shoulder. He could feel her little hands on the back of his calf where she was perfectly content to hide behind him.

"What is it?" she asked Leo in a small and fearful voice, clearly never having experienced the howls of pain that came from fallen opponents.

"Cover your ears, Shen," Leo instructed. The child obliged. "Everyone move away from the door." Leo called out to the others who, a raggedy bunch, obeyed.

It was perfect timing as the thick wooden door splintered, showering the room with wooden shards the size of kitchen knives. Shen stifled a surprised shriek just as Leo turned and scooped her up, so she was tucked against his plastron, and the spray of wood pinged off his shell.

The shrapnel hadn't stopped and Leo had to spring to his feet as the sound of gunfire rang out. It had been muted behind the walls, but present the whole time. Now, with now dampener of the door gone, the sounds echoed like fire crackers in the room around them.

Don was the first to pour into the room. With his bo staff in one hand and a brown duffle bag, no doubt what had facilitated an explosion big enough to get through the heavy wooden door, he darted into the room.

"DAD!" Shen screamed, any amount of poise or filter she'd had before was lost. She darted out from behind Leo's legs, pushing off his shin to gain momentum in her forward spring. Don's eyes lit up too, excited and thrilled to see the bouncing curls of his daughter.

"Shenny, sweetheart! I'm here," Don's words echoed around them. But Leo caught her under the arms before she could really get to Donnie, her little legs struggling to pull against his strong arm. Leo saw a threat the mind of a child could never have perceived in her elation at seeing the man she just **_knew _**would rescue her.

Behind Don stood one of the black clad soldier Bishop employed, with some ramped up version of gear Leo used to know, trailing the purple clad turtle. Leo saw him cock the laser gun he was holding and, to his dismay, was aptly aware that Don's attention was not on his surroundings but on the little girl who distracted him. It would be the last thing he'd see.

Leo barely got Don's name off from his tongue before the gun went off - the laser's burst of power cut through the air swiftly, long before Leo's mind could command his body to move. The crack of Don's carapace rang like a horrific gong as it exploded and the bolt shattered his plastron in a millisecond. Bits of keratin and blood sprayed Shen and Leo in the face. It all happened so fast and yet so slow that the sound of Shen's shrill scream didn't even hit Leo's ears until he realized that the monster who'd murdered his brother was going to be in the room.

It was with instinct reaction that Leo even found himself able to move. He pulled Shen close to his chest, protecting her both from physical danger and the horrors if her father's body crumpling to the floor, dead. A sai zipped through the air and impaled the murderous man right through the temple and out the other side of his skull before he could even enter the room.

"DONNIE!" Raph's hand closed around the door frame and he came winging around the corner but halted at Don's body laying on the floor. Shen's wails were still ringing in the room but her face was buried in Leo's neck. "Holy SHIT!" Raph's hand close around the sai in his hand.

"Raph..." Leo warned and breathed in relief, knowing his brother better than, perhaps, anyone.

The hothead didn't hear Leo's words for the blood pumping in his ears. He turned and pulled his sai free of the man's skull. It only gave him the freedom to bring both down, one after the other, in swift punches, into the soft flesh of Bishop's soldier's already dead body. Angry tears filled his eyes as he mutilated the corpse out of retaliation in his blind rage. His tears spoke for so many in the room, for tears Leo was too stunned to cry and Shen was mimicking in rivers down her plump cheeks.

"RAPH!" Joey's voice rang out, appearing in the opening of the room with her face flush. She was one step behind Raph and it was clear she was stunned by his violent, mindless stabbing. She climbed up on his back with a springboard jump, grabbing onto the top ridge of his shell to pull herself up. "What are you doing?!"

Raph threw his elbow into her ribcage and sent her sprawling onto the floor, next to Don's lifeless body. She scrambled back at seeing him laying there, blood pooled and warm, now coating her hand. Her clean hand shot to her mouth as she continued to push herself back, scrambling to get away from the horrific sight before her. She only managed pulling herself to her feet because she ran into the interior wall of the cell.

"Joey." Leo breathed out. It was as if he'd forgotten she'd been part of his life until that moment. It all crashed back around him, seeing her and Raph. They didn't belong here. That wasn't Don, not their Don. She was his Joey, his strongest ties to reality, and Raph was his brother, both very real while the lifeless body on the floor was most certainly not the Donnie he remembered. This was not the world he had left behind, it was something different entirely. And, though it all happened so fast, Leo pulled himself together as his thoughts realigned with the truth and dreams became dreams again.

Soon more of Bishop's soldiers would be pouring in and they'd need to move. Now.

He handed Shen to Dex and move to take Joey by the shoulder. When he neared her, she spotted him. "You..." she growled.

"Joey, man are you a sight fo-" he didn't get any further than that before her fist collided with his jaw. She wasn't as strong as some but there was force and zeal behind her act. And Leo felt it as he hadn't even the slightest bit of defense or expectation for her sucker punch. Leo stood still for a moment, his jaw throbbing. It was a minute too long because in that time she was granted the window of opportunity through which she flung herself. She was little and feisty, must like an angry cat and with all the spunk of one.

She went for any part of him she could find, kicking his shins and knees before grabbing the rim of his shell and jerking him forward. Joey managed to even twist his arm around him, incapacitating him so she could continue kicking and smacking and punching into the meaty parts of his flesh in her fit of rage and anger. She was fast and he could feel her attacks coming fast and hard. It was enough that he had to take a step back, jerking his arm free with all his might, shock overcoming him as she attacked him with the intent to seriously damage him.

"Joey!" He was finally able to catch one of her wrists and push her back into the wall, having folded both her arms up across her chest, defensively pinning her. "What the shell is wrong with you!?"

She responded with the best mouthful of spit she could muster, right to his face. "You're a monster!" She growled at him. "LET ME GO! I can't believe I ever...cared about you. I could care LESS about you, you disgusting, vile CREATURE! I hate you! I hate you and all that you are! You...you're...a monster!"

He could feel the bruises already developing where she had hardly given up and his shins were being punished for it. She squirmed and writhed against his grasp, which made it particularly hard to hold her firmly without hurting her. Her words stung, but Leo was sure she had to have a reason for them, particularly with the measure of conviction she had in them. "I..." he stuttered and it dawned on him, from all that he had seen in this dream driven world. Something was not right. "It wasn't me. JOEY! That wasn't me! I met him too, he was violent and lifeless. That wasn't me! What did he do to you?"

"No, it was _you_. I saw **you**...you tried to kill me! I saw the murderer in your eyes, I saw the monster! You killed my dad!" she howled, her cheeks flush and eyes round with disgust.

"Joey! Your dad was already dead. He died long before I met you. Remember..._think_. Joey, think!" He pressed harder into her. "You were the one who taught **_me_**about the Dreaming. And all that it is capable of all, all it can trick someone into believing. Remember the first time we really spoke? It was over your father's grave..."

Joey's thrashing slowed and she looked at the bit of blue bandanna still tied around her wrist from what seemed like a lifetime ago. She closed her eyes hard and a tears squeezed from the corner of one, slipping down her cheek. "I remember." She whispered, willing herself to put the pieces into place through feeling rather than thinking. It was as if everything over the last few months came crashing back in a matter of seconds. It started, she recalled, with a doll being murdered in an alleyway by a host vampire with the intention to start war. Raph and Casey saw...the Lionels were there...Japan to break a bond...explosion and fire...fell in love...save Raph...

"This is a Dreamdance..." she murmured, her eyes shot open and locked onto his. "None of this is real. You...moron!" She head butted him lightly, with some conviction and strength to her words. "You shouldn't have come here, you'll be just as lost as we are. We aren't on the Silver Path anymore, we aren't safe...we are victims of our Dreamdance, it's stolen our reality. How will we get home?"

Leo managed a half hearted smirk and lower of his eyes. "That's more like my Joey. Have you forgotten who I am? I never come unprepared...I have an anchor."

"We have to move." They both echoed at one another in the same instant, as Leo was still holding her and she was shaking still from her adrenaline rush. "Get Raph." Joey told Leo sharply.

"Yes, you gather up the prisoners." Leo informed her, to which she nodded. The well oiled machine they were in combat and in times of chaos sparked back to life as reality separated from fantasy. Leo could only imagine the dream she had seen of him and what he did...and though it was not him, he regretted every moment. Now, however, was not the time to remind her he was trustworthy and would never harm her. Now was the time to act quickly.

As he passed Don's fallen body, he bent to close his brother's eyes. With this act, he said a quiet goodbye. Whether this was his actual brother or not did not matter. In Leo's heart, he was a part of the Donatello he knew. That in and of itself demanded respect. He didn't linger though, moving immediately to pull Raph off from the meaty pile that his brother's sai had turned the former soldier into.

Leo thrust Raph into the adjacent wall, which he now was able to see was indeed another bungalow for prisoners. He didn't pay it any attention yet, his focus was on Raph. "Hey! Raph...look at me. We have to move. We have to get these people out of here and I need your focus for that."

Raph's breaths were coming out more like pants and struggling gulps of air. Leo wasn't sure he could reach the glassy covered eyes of his broken hearted brother. "HE KILLED DON!" Raph roared but Leo saw more tears than teeth when Raph opened his mouth to scream.

"We'll grieve...I promise, it hurts me as much as it does you. But Raph, we owe it to Don to be sure his daughter gets out of here safely." Leo removed one hand from Raph's shoulder to gesture behind him at Shen in Dex's arms. It was Leo's focused mind and control that kept him from expressing his pain through tears like Raph was. "Standing here right now isn't going to bring Don back, but moving can ensure Shen gets to see another day."

Raph's chest was heaving, but when Leo pointed behind them, Raph's eyes caught the little girl crying into Dex's chest his heart crashed in his chest. The thought of what he would feel the day their father lay unmoving terrified him. He couldn't imagine and didn't want to think about it, what she must be feeling. His shoulders slumped and his head bowed. With the back of his hand, still in a fist from holding his sai, he wiped his tears free. "Then lets move." he grumbled.

Joey had ushered the others forward and each stepped over Don's fallen body.

"We have to get the rest of them out. I can move them fast but you guys are going to have to hold off any of Bishop's men that come. And they will come - that explosion was loud. Lets make it fast." Joey said firmly, receiving a nod of confirmation from both turtle brothers.

"I'll help you move them." Dex offered softly. "Just show me the way."

"We'll hold them off, you get anyone in the other bungalows out." Leo instructed. As he turned to go, he felt a hand on his arm. He turned back to see the blue cloth around the wrist of that which had stopped him. His eyes lifted to meet her.

"Good luck, hot shot." Joey's lips touched his cheek briefly but warmly before the parties broke into their various directions.

They were fortunate that it was a small compound and it took very little time to empty out. It was mostly unguarded and those that did guard it were taken out by Don, Raph, Joey, and the small team they'd brought with them. Dex's presences made Joey's task of transporting everyone through the shadow doorways of the Dreaming exponentially faster as they took them one at a time, moving as quickly as possible. With Raph's force driven by rage and Leo's newfound direction, they were able to contain any guards that arrived with minimal effort.

Don's body was the final one to be moved. Both Joey and Dex did it together, careful not to jostle and disturb the body at rest.

It was in the commotion of the arrivals to the resistance hub that Cagney was notified and with it, she came in a hurry, eager to see how many they'd recovered and to see her family. She pushed through the group hoping to find Donnie with an update to their status and Shen's legs wrapped around him as he carried her. When she broke through the group, her heart stopped and she thought, for a minute, she was going to die right then. Don's body, what was left of it, was laying still and dirty across a rescue cot.

"Cagney," one of the voices said, but she couldn't place it nor the direction it came from. Nor did she care.

She didn't move for many moments and when she did, it was to wave the crowd off. "Go. Everyone...Allister, see to the wounded. Carol, make sure the new refugees are fed. Mikey, bring me water and towels. Joey, please, get the rest of them out of here." She ordered with some cool firmness to her voice. Calm.

"Cagney..." Joey started but the blonde turned on her.

"Just do it." Cagney responded in a dangerously low warning, to which Joey nodded.

Leo had watched from a distance as others parted to leave Cagney alone with Don's body. He was the only one who dared come near where Cagney had set up a small lamp near Don's body. Shen slept in a pile of blankets and pillows on the floor off to the side. It was in what she thought was solitude that Leo watched tears roll down her face while she washed every bit of blood from Don's body with the utmost care. Her damp rag moistened in the water, soaking away blood and turning it a crimson pink color with each soak. She cleaned up his body and wrapped up his chest, what was left of it, in a snug cloth. It was, by Leo's estimation, only for Cagney to experience her grief...her pain. It was why he didn't want to interrupt her.

"You can come sit with me." She finally spoke, her voice surprisingly steady for the droplets of tears on her face.

Leo bowed his head. "I didn't mean to intrude."

Cagney didn't look up when she addressed him the first or second time. "You're never a bother, Leo. And I know you don't intrude. You always stand in the same spot when you watch someone, right over their left shoulder. I could see your shadow in my light and I knew it was you." She spoke softly and with the measure of hurt that Leo knew she must feel. He stepped forward and knelt next to her, surprised by how well she seemed to know him.

He admired the dedication and care with which she handled Don's body.

"You loved him."

She looked up to him finally. She looked so young yet so wizened now, like Dex. Her face was wet and she made no move to hide her tears. "I still love him, Leo. I will always love him. Death doesn't stop love. He was my mate. My favorite person. He will remain both, forever." She bowed her head against her fallen lovers plastron, clinging to the edge of it as her forehead rested there. She kissed the edge of it before she leaned up to look at Leo.

"I promise you, I'll help you fight this war. We'll avenge Don's death so another little girl doesn't have to lose her father."

Cagney smiled sadly at him. "Of course you would. I know you would, it's in your nature. You are a dedicated and loving brother. You may not know this or believe it but we were very good friends before you were taken by Bishop's men." She reached up quietly and brush away a few of her tears with the pads of her fingers. "I've spoken with Dex and briefly with Joey. I understand what happened...you are not the man I knew. You are someone else entirely, the man I knew is as gone as the man I love. What's your world like, Leo? The one you actually come from? Is it like this?"

"Like this?" Leo's voice showed his surprise, shaking his head. He too had glassy eyes for the sadness that radiated around them. "No. Not at all."

"Have we met?"

"Only just, we've just met you, but I believe that we could be friends. If you were able to learn to love Don then I imagine you had a relationship with all of us."

"There was this one time, oh gosh...it had to have been before Shen was born...that you told me you were in love once. You never said her name. I can only guess who that person is. Losing her made you hard and calculating. Your brothers spoke of a warmer Leo. I never knew him, until now. Even still you always stood by the fact that you would rather have loved her and lost her, than to never know what it was like to love...and be loved. I feel that now." A row of tears fell freely from her eyes and she clung tighter to the edge of Don's plastron.

She smiled again, the same sad teary grin. "What do you think would happen if you stayed here to help with my war? Would it change the course of your world?" She nodded. "Maybe, because you're not there, Don will die there too. As much as we need the help and the manpower, maybe you being there will stop this from happening in your world. Who knows." Cagney shrugged.

"I can lead these people and it may be a futile effort but we're going to go out trying. Your people need you to lead them where you belong. Avenge Don in your home place, not here. You don't belong here. Go home, know love, hope you never lose it. We're going to be okay here and we're going to do our best. But maybe losing your life here over something that cant been stopped isn't the answer either. Know him there, love him there, give him your time and attention as you can't do it here. And another senseless death isn't what we need. If you know the way, go. Take your people home. Be their hero, we already have one." She patted Don's chest and leaned forward again, pressing her cheek to his plastron.

Leo bowed his head slightly, his eyes closed as two matching tears of his own slid down his face. He was touched by her words, he knew of the love she spoke of and how to preserve it. Don was a hero...and Leo would do all he could to ensure that remained true, even in his own world. He touched her back lightly, lingering for a moment in comfort as he took the opportunity for hope in his own future. The future of his own reality, where love could exist for them both without death. "Goodbye, Donatello" He whispered quietly and squeezed Cagney's shoulder. "Thank you for showing my brother love before he died...that's all I ever wished for him." And he stood, leaving Cagney to mourn and cherish lost love in solitude.

* * *

><p>Leo's link, his katana left behind, glowed as it's tether drew them back to their own world. The three of them woke from what seemed like a dead sleep just as the king returned from his business trip to northern St. Augustine. The sun was just breaking over the spring, creating a flood of pink and orange and blue colors in the sky. Don, Mikey and Cagney found solace in one of the cabins that lined the road to the park's lot for cars.<p>

"The guests won't be allowed in the park until after 9 this morning, you have some time." Dex told them as they all began to sit up, in varying states of disorientation. "But I suggest you come out onto the lawn, the magic of this building will find you not so comfortable in a matter of minutes. Fae magic can be quite...intoxicating."

Raph looked over his shoulder at Joey and then in the other direction at Leo. "I had the craziest dream...it was weird. Where the shell are we?" It was only then that Raph's raspy voice and stiff body caught up with him and he realized that a good deal must have happened that he didn't even know about yet.

"Yeah Raph, a dream." Leo agreed quietly, his eyes moving from his brother to Joey whom he shared a knowing look with.

"You should go wake your brothers, share a last bit of sunshine while you still can. The sewer is no place for a turtle. Then you can return to New York. Know it was a pleasure meeting you." The king bowed before them. He rose with a shimmering smile of sheer mischief. "Enjoy your freedom, Raphael and go knowing you have your freedom. In the future - my advice - don't talk to strangers even if they have candy and remember to always eat your cereal with a fork."

Raph just stared at Dex, only half aware of who he was because the man had been in his dream though they hadn't spoken directly. It seemed, to him, that the young adult was just speaking nonsense. He reached up and brushed his chin with one thick finger and was surprised to discover Kenshin's scarred mark was gone and no blemishes graced his neck. "I don't feel so good." He mumbled when he climbed to his feet.

"I warned you..." Dex said with a knowing grin. He dipped forward and slipped an arm under Raph's armpit and helped balance him.

Joey offered Leo the same to which he bowed and whispered 'thank you' warmly to her. She beamed and nodded. "You did real good, hot shot. Thanks for the save." She winked when he looked at her.

As soon as the two turtles were on the grassy hill that led down to the river, the new morning sun on them, free of the heavy magic within the house, they both felt warm...free. The Florida sun felt hotter than in New York, soaking into their green skin like a sponge to water. Dex was right, turtles were meant to lay as they were, feeling the skin kiss their face. Raph and Leo both, beyond their control, stretched out both their necks in encouragement of the sun's warmth.

"You'll find your brothers over there," Dex nodded to a collection of trees where a drive led into the woods.

"Great...we're in the sticks. Whatd'ya do with the traffic and nighttime lights and rumble of the city? I ain't no country boy - you have a lot of explaining to do, Joey." Raph warned in his gruff tone but with a good spirited edge as his eyes were closed and his face pointed towards the sun.

"Whatever Raph, enjoy your sun. I'll go get them. You two chill." she offered and hurried off, certainly more familiar with the area.

"Hey," Raph turned to address the boy, who's name he didn't know, with the intention to ask about the 'freedom' comment. When he turned, the ground behind them was empty of anyone, the only thing standing there was the old white house. Raph could have sworn it was just a palace, big and ornate and beautiful. Now stood an old, colonial house that had probably seen far better days. "Where'd he go?" Raph perked.

"Who?" Leo asked, but immediately realized who Raph must mean. A small smile passed his face. "Dex is a mystery, Raph. Don't ask too many questions. It'll never make sense. I assure you."

It was Mikey's arrival, clearly having been woken without a fight, that surprised Leo the most. That was, at least, until he spotted the blonde with them. She, like Dex, looked less worn by experience. Leo sat up some as they came closer, Raph and Leo both still bathing in the sun. "You slept with them?" He asked and, as soon as the words came from his mouth, he knew he'd made a folly.

A grin broke across Mikey's face. "Don't I wish! She's a turtle too Leo, don't you know? She's really pretty too!"

Raph's eyes bugged at Mikey's words and he wondered if his brother had hit his head a little too hard. It was clear that Raph was the only one of them that was uncomfortable with all these humans around, from Dex to Cagney now too-they were vaguely familiar to him but not enough for it to be okay to be seen. Leo, however, was well aware of how safe they all really were. Don's cheeks glowed for a moment and, though he bowed his head, caught Raph's confusion. "Don't ask, we have a lot to explain. You missed a lot."

"Yeah, yer tellin' me."

Leo didn't miss the blush that crossed Don's face and he wondered what he too may have missed, even in his own world.

"COME ON RAPH! We gotta show you the spring!" Mikey had his hand around Don's wrist and bolted off with him, waving Raph on excitedly. "You comin', Leo?!"

"Oh, yeah Mikey, in a minute." Leo smiled at little as his orange clad brother was already off, dragging his other two along the wooden walk way the half mile down to the spring area. There was something innocent, peaceful and inspiring about their energy as Leo was certain this was the right choice. This was his world...and those were his brothers he would do anything to protect. _His_heroes.

"I'm going to score us some food. I know people around here." Joey smiled, patting Leo's shoulder as he still sat on the grassy hill. "Some of them owe me favors and favors can come in the form of food. In fact...they usually do."

"You?" Leo arched an eye ridge teasingly, "Know people? Maybe one or two?"

"Hey, don't give me lip." she grinned and winked at him.

"What are you going to do about it?" he taunted back to which she held up a playful threatening fist, but disappeared up the road that lead passed the house.

Leo looked over at Cagney, the only one left with him. "Hi."

"Hi." she returned.

"So..." he glanced at the ground. "Sorry about Mikey, I'm sure he was a handful. I wish I could say he's not always like that, but he sort of is. You just get used to him."

"Ah not too bad," she laughed as she sat down next to him. "I'm a doctor, I'm used to dealing with whiners. It's sort of my entire purpose, half the time I'm not even practicing medicine."

Leo laughed at her light hearted humor. "I...heard about mates your people seek out. Do you believe in them? Do you think they exist?"

"Mates? Oh yeah, of course. Everyone has one and when you find them, you don't ever stray. It's not like just my people have them because we are part animals and mate for life. No, all people have mates...someone Nature has given to you to have an ultimate love and affection for. Yes, mates exist. My parents have been mated for many years. Decades in fact. You're learning a lot now aren't you? The world is bigger than it was last week, or last month, or last year huh? Those sewer walls don't just hide you from the world, but it hides the world from you."

"Oh yeah," Leo made no effort to hide his zeal in that statement. "I've learned my fair share...and I regret nothing of it. It can only hide as much as I allow it to, Cagney. And I never had an intention to let it hide anything."

"You're thinking something...something you're not saying." Cagney smiled warmly at him, plucking blades of grass out of the ground as they sat together. "What's on your mind, Leo? Is it true, do you see stuff in the Dreamdance that changes you?"

"Oh yeah..." he echoed again.

She narrowed her eyes, amused by his demeanor. "You're being coy and keeping your words to yourself. That's okay, we'll play twenty questions to get them out of you. Good or bad things?"

"Both I guess." Leo smiled at her, his eyes shining in his warmth and comfort then. The sun on his shell and the complete relaxation he had was enough to bring out his playful, warm side. The side Cagney in the dreams had spoken of. "Have you met him? Your mate?" Leo asked without a filter.

Cagney arched an eyebrow and grinned. "I'm seeing someone. His name is Gabe."

"Yeah, but is Gabe your mate?"

Cagney looked down. She could see where he was going with it and she didn't attempt to lie. "I've known for a long time he wasn't. It's just something you know. When you meet them. It's there or it's not. There's no gray for my people. But he keeps me company and he's funny...sort of. Well he's nice at least."

"That's not what I asked." Leo rocked forward, his legs crossed underneath him. "I'll asking again...have you met your mate?"

"You must have experienced something exciting in there." she deflected, but glanced up at him. "Are you the one that should be asking me that question, Leo?"

"Probably not."

"Then we understand each other."

"No!" Leo shot back suddenly. "It doesn't just end like that. It's not good enough for me. I'm not going to let Joey slip away and I'm not going to let you just...do that! Say it like it's nothing. You know you've met your mate and you can't just let it slip away. Admit that, to me and to yourself. To the very wind that blows the Spanish moss. Admit it, Cagney."

Cagney bowed her head and carefully twisted a blade of grass between her fingertips. A moment later, her head lifted. "I have no intention of doing that. Mates are for life Leo, but it's a lifestyle I've been raised with. Not one that you - or your brothers - can simply accept. There is still a great deal you four need to learn. The odds are against me. Trust me, I know. I've been fighting with him about the theory of scientific magic for the last twelve hours. We didn't sleep, just talked. All night. Yes, I know my mate and I'm not going to just let him go that easily. I suspect I have a long journey ahead of me though."

"New York is far." Leo added lightly.

"Fortunately, my profession is sort of a commodity that's needed anywhere."

"Then we understand each other." This time it was Leo that mirrored her words from a moment before. "I'm not saying it's going to be easy, and I'm not saying that it's going to work without a hitch. If I've learned anything in my lifetime, it's that these adventures...they never end. At least we try and that's what makes it worth it. It's how we can walk away and say I did my best. I don't believe in failure anymore."

She nodded, a pleasant smile on her face. "I never believed in failure, Leo."

He bowed to her, drawing up slowly before their eyes met again. "You'll be good for him. Better than any of us could be...I know you'll take good care of him, I trust you."

"I'll do my best." Cagney offered.

"It's all we can do."


End file.
